Published on: 27 July 2026
Ahead of World Breastfeeding Week, which runs from 1 to 7 August, families in Derby are continuing to receive nationally recognised support with infant feeding and early relationships after Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust retained its Baby Friendly Initiative accreditation from UNICEF.
The Trust, which provides 0-19 children’s services across Derby City, including health visiting, was commended by UNICEF assessors for delivering a high standard of care to pregnant women and new mothers.
The Baby Friendly Initiative sets out standards for health visiting services to help families get the right information and support in the earliest stages of a child’s life. These include:
- Supporting pregnant women to recognise the importance of breastfeeding and early relationships for the health and wellbeing of their baby
- Enable mothers to continue breastfeeding for as long as they wish
- Supporting mothers to make informed decisions regarding the introduction of food or fluids other than breastmilk
- Supporting parents to have a close and loving relationship with their baby.
To maintain the accreditation, the Trust’s children’s service is re-assessed every two to five years to ensure families continue to receive consistent, evidence-based support.
Tumi Banda, Director of Nursing, Allied Health Professionals, Quality and Patient Experience at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This accreditation is important because it reflects the experience we want every family to have when they receive care from our services - to feel reassured, listened to and supported at such an imperative time in their lives.
“Most importantly, it shows families that they can expect compassionate, personalised support from our staff as they navigate feeding choices and build close relationships with their babies.”
The Baby Friendly assessors highlighted how unusual it is for services to pass the updated criteria outright.
The team is now awaiting its Baby Friendly Initiative accreditation plaque. For more information on UNICEF Breastfeeding Initiative visit the Unicef’s Baby Friendly webpage.
