Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT) has been reaccredited with UNICEF UK’s Baby Friendly Gold Award for both its maternity and neonatal units.
This reaccreditation reaffirms HDFT’s position as the only NHS Trust in England to hold Gold status – the highest level of accreditation – across both services, reflecting its unwavering commitment to delivering outstanding care for babies, parents and families.
HDFT is also the leading NHS Trust nationally, with a total of four accredited Gold services and eight Stage 3 accredited services across its 11 Local Authority 0-19 (children and young people’s public health services) contracts.
The Baby Friendly Initiative, set up by UNICEF and the World Health Organization, is a global programme which provides a practical and effective way for health services to improve the care provided for mothers and babies. It is based on a comprehensive set of standards designed to provide parents with the best possible care to build close and loving relationships with their baby, and to feed their baby in ways which will support optimum health and development. When adopted, these standards lead to healthier families and stronger communities.
Introduced to the UK in 1994, the Baby Friendly Initiative has worked with UK public services for over 30 years supporting maternity, neonatal, community and hospital-based children’s services to transform their care, ensuring every parent receives trusted support to make confident choices about feeding and caring for their newborn. The initiative also works with universities to ensure that newly qualified midwives and health visitors have the essential knowledge needed to support families.
The Gold Award recognises healthcare providers that meet UNICEF’s rigorous standards for infant feeding and early parent–infant relationships. Achieving and sustaining this level demonstrates that HDFT’s maternity and neonatal teams not only meet these standards, but have embedded them into everyday practice, ensuring families consistently receive compassionate support.
Breeda Columb, Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals at HDFT said:
I am delighted that we have retained our Gold accreditation. This award reflects years of dedication from staff, strong leadership, and a culture that places babies and families at the heart of care. Harrogate’s services have now been recognised as an exemplar of best practice for supporting infant feeding, strengthening parent–infant relationships, and improving outcomes for the community.
By ensuring every parent receives trusted, evidence-based support, we help empower families to make confident choices about caring for their newborns. This approach not only reduces health inequalities, but also brings long-term benefits for society and the environment.
Leanne Likaj, Associate Director of Midwifery and Paediatrics at HDFT said:
I am immensely proud to be working with a service that has sustained UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Gold accreditation for both maternity and neonatal services.
This accreditation recognises the commitment of our staff to provide families with compassionate, evidence-based support for infant feeding, helping babies get the best possible start in life and fostering close, loving relationships.
