Warwick Hospital's special care baby unit (SCBU) has been recognised as gold standard following an assessment this May.

Receiving an impressive score of 97.7 per cent from the review, the neonatal unit was awarded with a gold Bliss Baby Charter accreditation.

This makes the unit the only SCBU within Coventry and Warwickshire - and one of just thirteen in the country - with the accolade.

The Bliss Baby Charter recognises neonatal units that deliver high-quality care to babies and support for their families.

It was developed by Bliss to help hospitals caring for premature and sick babies to assess the care they provide and identify areas for improvement.

During the assessment, Bliss noted feeding support was an area of best practice for Warwick Hospital's SCBU, with "passionate staff and dedicated one-to-one support" with each family.

They also found the culture of the neonatal unit to be family-centred, with families referencing an extremely welcoming environment with supportive staff.

Despite it being a small unit, it was highlighted that staff have gone out of their way to ensure that the space is used as efficiently as possible and have even created a dedicated sibling's corner.

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Emma-Louise Evans, the baby charter lead for Warwick Hospital's SCBU, said: "Our team is dedicated to continually improve the service we offer, to ensure we are providing high-quality family-centred care as standard.

"I am extremely proud that our hard work and commitment to implement changes and make improvements has been recognised, not only with the prestigious Gold Bliss Baby Charter accreditation, but, by the families we care for."

Holly Sullivan, baby charter programme lead at Bliss, added: "We were highly impressed by Warwick Hospital's SCBU in our visit.

"It is a unit that truly puts babies and families at the heart of their care, with the supportive staff and welcoming atmosphere particularly standing out, and with all parents highlighting extensive and one to one support with feeding.

"I am delighted that we are able to formally recognise the staff's commitment to family-centred care."