On 15 November, St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey became the sixth hospital England to receive a prestigious award for their neonatal unit from the UK’s leading premature and sick baby charity, Bliss. St. Peters received the highest score of any neonatal unit to be assessed by Bliss for the award.
The Bliss Baby Charter Accreditation awards neonatal units that deliver high quality care to babies and support for their families. It was developed by Bliss to help hospitals caring for premature and sick babies to assess the care they provide and identify areas for improvement. Through the accreditation process, Bliss recognises and rewards excellence in the care delivered by neonatal units all the while supporting units to improve their practice.
The assessment by Bliss found that St Peter’s excelled at providing support for families through a multi-disciplinary team which includes a family support coordinator, chaplain, breastfeeding lead, safeguarding lead and interpreter. The unit’s spacious, well-equipped accommodation also enables parents to stay close to their baby. Bliss highlighted the supportive staff culture which includes Good News Fridays as a way of maintaining high morale.
A ceremony is due to be held on 16 December where staff on the neonatal unit will be presented with a plaque and certificate to mark their achievement.