NHS Shetland’s Maternity and Health Visiting services are celebrating after achieving Gold accreditation under the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative – a nationally recognised mark of excellence in care for babies and their families.
Staff marked the achievement yesterday (Thursday 19 March) at Islesburgh Community Centre, where midwives, health visitors, a doctor and a peer supporter came together to celebrate with tea, cake and the presentation of award plaques.
The services were officially awarded Gold status in August 2025, recognising not only their high standards of care, but their commitment to maintaining these standards for families across Shetland.
Supporting breastfeeding is at the core of the Baby Friendly programme, while supporting those who formula feed to do so as safely as possible. UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative supports services to provide high-quality, evidence-based care that helps parents build close and loving relationships with their baby, and supports them in their feeding journey to give every child the best possible start in life. To retain accreditation, services must complete regular audits of both staff and parents to ensure standards continue to be met.
Susan Keay, NHS Shetland’s Infant Feeding Lead and Integrated Midwife, who organised the celebration event, said: “The Gold award recognises that NHS Shetland is not only meeting Baby Friendly standards, but that we have the culture, leadership and commitment to sustain them over the long term.
“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved. It reflects the hard work and dedication of our teams, who continue to support mothers, babies and families across Shetland. We are committed to ensuring all women feel supported in their feeding choices.”
Colleagues also paid tribute to Susan’s leadership and dedication in helping the service achieve the award and inspiring the wider team.
As part of the accreditation process, both services carried out an audit of parents over the past year, gathering valuable feedback on their experiences to help shape and improve care.
Reflecting on the achievement, Susan added: “I would like to thank all my colleagues for their continued dedication to supporting families in our community and for delivering excellent, person-centred care every day.”
Support for families continues beyond clinical settings. NHS Shetland is supported by six Peer Support Volunteers, one of whom hosts, a weekly support group at Islesburgh every Friday from 10.30am to 12 noon. The group offers a welcoming space for support and an informal chat with home bakes. More information can be found on the Shetland Breastfeeding Support Group Facebook page.
For further information about NHS Shetland’s Maternity Services, please visit: Maternity – NHS Shetland