Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is celebrating after the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St Peter’s Hospital achieved Platinum Bliss Baby Charter accreditation, the highest level of recognition awarded by neonatal charity Bliss. St Peter’s is currently the only Level 3 neonatal unit in England to hold this prestigious accreditation, recognising its outstanding commitment to family-integrated care for premature and sick babies and their families.
Highlighting the team’s achievements, Bliss assessors praised the exceptional family-integrated care, including transformative feeding support, compassionate and culturally sensitive bereavement services, comprehensive psychological support, and practical initiatives such as on-site childcare that help families remain closely involved in their baby’s care.
It also praised the unit’s inclusive and welcoming environment, recognising family-focused facilities and refurbishment plans, accessible information, multilingual support, and a strong commitment to meeting the diverse needs of every family.
Dr Benedicta Agbagwara-Osuji, Director of Midwifery, said: “Securing Platinum Bliss Baby Charter accreditation is a remarkable accomplishment, particularly for a Level 3 neonatal unit caring for some of the smallest and sickest babies. The rigorous assessment reflects the outstanding dedication of our neonatal team and their unwavering commitment to family-integrated care. We are incredibly proud to be the only Level 3 unit in the country to secure this standard, and this recognition belongs to every member of our team and every family whose experiences and feedback continue to shape and improve the care we provide.”
Dr. Vennila Ponnusamy, Neonatal Unit Clinical Lead said: “I am incredibly proud of our dedicated neonatal team of doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, healthcare assistants and the wider network of support staff, including our receptionists, admin team, volunteer chaplain, hospice colleagues, the Little Roo Charity and parent peer supporters. Together, they go above and beyond to deliver outstanding care for babies and their families, continually developing their skills and knowledge to provide the very best support. It is wonderful to see their commitment and hard work recognised through this prestigious Bliss Baby Charter Platinum award.”
Bliss Trustee Neil James said: “As a Bliss Trustee, and also as a parent whose child was cared for in the neonatal unit at St Peter’s, I extend my sincere congratulations to the whole team on this impressive and well-deserved achievement. The Bliss Baby Charter is a valuable tool to improve standards on neonatal units by embedding high-quality family integrated care and the unit’s platinum accreditation is a very significant accomplishment.”
While the award recognises the high standards already achieved, the team remains committed to listening to families, learning from their experiences and working closely with support organisations to continue improving services and delivering the very best care for every baby and family who comes through the unit.
