Worcestershire Royal Hospital’s neonatal unit receives Bliss Gold Award

The neonatal unit at Worcestershire Royal Hospital has received the Bliss Baby Charter Gold Award following a detailed review of its service, making it one of just 10 hospitals in England and two in the West Midlands to achieve the accreditation for family-centred care.

The Gold Award recognises neonatal units that demonstrate the highest standards of family-centred care. The accreditation is provided by Bliss, the national charity supporting babies born premature or sick.

As part of its assessment, Bliss praised staff on the unit for their strong teamwork, knowledge and commitment to involving parents in their baby’s care.

Charlotte Damiral, Bliss Baby Charter Programme Officer and a member of the assessment team, said: “There was clear evidence of a shared commitment to placing families at the centre of care, with staff consistently recognising the importance of involving parents and carers as partners in their baby’s care and celebrating these steps with them.

“The team was particularly impressed by the level of psychological and trauma-informed awareness demonstrated not only by the Psychologist, but by staff across the wider multidisciplinary team, reflecting a shared understanding of the emotional impact of neonatal care on families.”

Mel Pople, the unit’s Family Integrated Care Lead, said: “Family integrated care here has developed and improved so much. Having the Bliss Baby Charter Accreditation to work towards supports the whole team’s understanding and provides clear direction. We care for and support the whole family as well as their baby, because we know that the best possible outcomes will come from the parents feeling confident, competent and attuned to meeting their baby’s needs.”

Amrat Mahal, Associate Chief Nursing Officer, said: “We are delighted to have achieved the Bliss Gold Accreditation. This recognition reflects the outstanding care, dedication and professionalism of our neonatal teams and their commitment to supporting babies and families through every stage of their neonatal journey.”