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Chelsea and Westminster receives Stage 2 Accreditation from UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative

24 May 2011

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has received its Stage 2 Accreditation from the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative—making us one of only two hospitals in London to achieve this accreditation.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has received its Stage 2 Accreditation from the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative—making us one of only two hospitals in London to achieve this accreditation.

As part of the assessment process, external assessors from UNICEF questioned staff on the Maternity Unit and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit about their breastfeeding knowledge and the skills that they need to help new mothers to breastfeed successfully.

Recent statistics show that 94% of the 5,500 women who have their baby at Chelsea and Westminster every year have skin to skin contact with their baby soon after birth—the highest rate of any NHS maternity unit in London.

Skin to skin contact is recognised to be a good start to breastfeeding and this is demonstrated by the fact that 95% of women who have their baby at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital start breastfeeding after giving birth—compared with a national average of just 76%.

Giuseppe Labriola (Specialist Midwife: Infant Feeding Co-ordinator) says “Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is actively committed to supporting breastfeeding, ensuring that the care delivered to women and their babies is of a high standard. Stage 2 Accreditation from the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative reinforces the fact that all our staff are committed to ensure that mothers receive the best possible support and experience with breastfeeding.”

Photo: Heather Lawrence (Chief Executive), Sue Ashmore (Programme Director for UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Intitiative), Ann Jarrett (Neonatal Education Lead), Vivien Bell (Head of Midwifery), Giuseppe Labriola (Specialist Midwife: Infant Feeding Co-ordinator), Natalie Allain (Infant Feeding Support Midwife) and Janice Boyd (Neonatal Sister)