Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust gains Baby Friendly Award

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust has been awarded the prestigious Baby Friendly Award and is the latest UK healthcare facility to gain recognition from the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) Baby Friendly Initiative.

Dr Anne-Marie Henshaw, the Trust’s Director of Midwifery and Women’s Health, said: “We work together to ensure that all mothers and babies are supported to form a close and loving relationship in order to ensure the best possible start in life.

"This award demonstrates our commitment to effectively implement the Baby Friendly standards and to improve patient care and experience.”

The Baby Friendly Initiative is a global programme which aims to transform healthcare for babies, their mothers, and families as part of a wider global partnership between UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).

In the UK, the Baby Friendly Initiative works with public services to better support families with feeding and developing relationships, and to understand the importance of this for their baby’s development. For example, in Baby Friendly hospitals mothers and babies now routinely stay together in the immediate post-birth period, helping to get their relationship off to a good start. The award is given to healthcare providers following an assessment by UNICEF UK to demonstrate that best practice standards are in place.

UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative Deputy Programme Director, Anne Woods commented: “Our work to support breastfeeding is based on extensive and resounding evidence that breastfeeding saves lives, improves health and cuts costs in every country worldwide. We are delighted that Mid Yorkshire has achieved full Baby Friendly status. Mothers at Mid Yorkshire can be confident that their midwives will provide high standards of care.”

The Trust’s Chief Executive, Len Richards, added: “This is an outstanding achievement, made possible by a maternity workforce committed to supporting and educating women and families, to ensure the best possible outcomes.”