GOSH Neonatal teams excelling in family-centred care

Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has been awarded Bliss Baby Charter Silver Accreditation - a prestigious recognition of excellence in family-centred care.

This award celebrates the team’s unwavering commitment to creating a supportive and nurturing environment for babies and their families during their hospital journey. It reflects the incredible teamwork, dedication, and compassion shown by everyone in our neonatal team.

The Bliss Baby Charter is a nationally recognised framework that helps neonatal units deliver the very best in family-centred care. Achieving Silver Accreditation demonstrates that GOSH NICU not only meets these high standards but goes above and beyond to empower families and improve outcomes for babies.

Annabel Linger, Neonatal Matron, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to achieve Bliss Baby Charter Silver Accreditation. This is a huge moment for our team and reflects the passion and dedication we put into making families true partners in their baby’s care. I’m so proud of everyone who worked tirelessly to make this happen – it’s a real celebration of what we can achieve together!

"The GOSH neonatal team always put the baby and family at the centre of our care. Working towards Bliss accreditation has focused our attention, helped us reflect deeply on our practices, and implement positive changes to enhance the family experience. This achievement demonstrates our commitment to compassionate, consistent, and effective neonatal care.”

The accreditation panel highlighted several outstanding achievements within the unit:

• Empowering parents as partners in care through joint decision-making and hands-on involvement.
• Excellent accommodation and financial support for families during their stay.
• Exceptional family liaison team providing guidance and emotional support.
• Strong multidisciplinary integration, ensuring seamless collaboration across teams.
• Outstanding privacy and dignity facilities for families.
• Comprehensive bereavement support systems for those facing the most difficult circumstances.
• Clear commitment to communication and parental understanding, making families feel informed and involved.
• High training compliance, ensuring staff are equipped to deliver best practice care.
• Innovative sibling support, helping brothers and sisters feel included and supported.

This achievement builds on years of progress. The NICU team began their accreditation journey in 2022, earning Bronze status in 2023 and introducing the Family Integrated Care (FICare) model to involve parents more actively in their baby’s care. This Silver Accreditation is a testament to their dedication to continuous improvement and family-centred care.

The team isn’t stopping here – they’re already looking ahead to achieving Gold Accreditation, continuing their mission to deliver compassionate, high-quality care that puts families first.