NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s maternity services are celebrating a major milestone after receiving the prestigious UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Gold Award while marking 30 years of Baby Friendly care.
The Gold Award is the highest level of accreditation available through the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative and recognises the consistently high standards of care provided to babies, parents and families across Ayrshire and Arran.
For three decades, maternity teams have supported families with trusted advice, compassionate assistance and evidence-based care covering infant feeding, responsive parenting and the development of early relationships between parents and babies.
The accreditation covers maternity, neonatal and community services, helping to ensure families receive consistent support from trained and skilled staff throughout the early stages of parenthood.
The achievement reflects the work of generations of midwives, neonatal nurses, health visitors, infant feeding specialists and support staff who have helped thousands of families across Ayrshire and Arran.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran Executive Nurse Director Jennifer Wilson described the award as a tremendous achievement.
She said: “Achieving the Baby Friendly Gold Award in the same year that we celebrate 30 years of Baby Friendly care is a tremendous achievement for NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s maternity services and one that everyone involved should be incredibly proud of.
“For three decades, our teams have been committed to providing families with the highest standards of care and support during the earliest stages of parenthood.
“This award recognises not only the excellent work being carried out today, but also the dedication of generations of staff who have championed infant feeding support, responsive parenting and parent-infant relationships over many years.
“We were delighted to receive the award in recognition of the hard work and commitment of colleagues across our maternity, neonatal and community services.
“Most importantly, the award gives families confidence that they will receive consistent, compassionate and evidence-based support, regardless of how they choose to feed their baby.”
The Gold Award was formally presented during a recent visit to University Hospital Crosshouse by Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport Maree Todd.
The visit provided an opportunity to celebrate the achievement with staff who have helped maternity services maintain Baby Friendly standards over the past 30 years.
Ms Todd said: “Supporting, protecting and promoting breastfeeding remains one of the most effective ways to improve the health of mother and baby, in both the short and long term.
“Not every woman can or wants to breastfeed, but for those who do, we will support them to meet their breastfeeding goals and improve their experiences.
“During World Breastfeeding Week, it is wonderful to celebrate the collective efforts across partnerships and communities in driving positive cultural change across Ayrshire and Arran that supports families and gives babies the best start in life.”
The award comes during another significant year for local maternity care, with the Ayrshire Maternity Unit at University Hospital Crosshouse also celebrating its 20th anniversary.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran said the two milestones demonstrate its continuing commitment to compassionate, family-centred care and to ensuring every baby and family receives the best possible start in life.