Royal Surrey County neonatal unit achieves Bliss Baby Charter Platinum

We are delighted to announce that the neonatal unit at Royal Surrey County Hospital has successfully achieved Bliss Baby Charter Platinum accreditation, the highest level of recognition for neonatal units demonstrating excellence in family-centred care. This is the fifth platinum accreditation Bliss has awarded, and the first to a Special Care Unit.

The accreditation reflects that the Royal Surrey team has embedded the practices, procedures and facilities needed to ensure parents and carers are true partners in their baby’s care and demonstrates a solid foundation in Family Integrated Care (FICare). Families are supported to take part in joint decision-making, provide hands-on care, and receive personalised support that reflects their individual needs and circumstances. 

The accreditation assessment was carried out in December 2025 by Bliss Baby Charter Programme Lead Rachel Quartermaine, Bliss Baby Charter Officer Charlotte Damiral, and volunteer assessors Rita Mahey and Emily Gorrod-Smith. The Baby Charter Lead for the unit was Giezl Pulanco.

Assessors found the Royal Surrey neonatal unit to be a highly welcoming environment for families, where the parent experience is clearly at the heart of everything they do. The team demonstrated excellent cohesion and strong support from senior clinical leadership, alongside an effective partnership with the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP), helping to ensure families’ voices are heard and acted upon.

Giezl Pulanco, Bliss Baby Charter Lead for the unit, said: "Achieving Bliss Baby Charter Platinum Accreditation is an incredibly proud moment for our team. We are the 5th neonatal unit in the UK to have received this prestigious accreditation, making this a truly outstanding and nationally significant achievement for us. 

"This recognition reflects the sustained hard work, commitment, and compassion shown by our staff, and confirms that family-integrated care is not an aspiration but a lived reality. For the families we serve, this accreditation reassures them that their voices matter, their experiences are valued, and their role in their baby’s care is central to everything we do. 

"Parents are recognised and respected as partners in their baby’s care, involved in decision-making, supported emotionally, and empowered throughout their neonatal journey. From communication and emotional support to involvement in daily care, the Bliss Baby Charter Standards guide our practice and shape our culture."

Joanne Macleod, Consultant Nurse and Clinical Director of Paediatrics, added: "It is absolutely fantastic to receive the platinum award from BLISS. To be only the 5th in the country and 1st for a SCU is an amazing achievement for the Royal Surrey that we are all so proud of. This is testament to all the hard work and commitment from staff to ensure our babies and families are cared for to the highest standard."