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Seòmar agus comataidhean

NHS Shetland Maternity and Health Visiting Services Achieve UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative Gold Status

  • Submitted by: Beatrice Wishart, Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
  • Date lodged: Monday, 23 March 2026
  • Motion type: Standard Motion
  • Motion reference: S6M-21176

That the Parliament congratulates NHS Shetland’s maternity and health visiting services on achieving a Gold accreditation under the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative, a nationally recognised mark of excellence in care for babies and their families; understands that the services were officially awarded Gold status in August 2025, recognising the high standards of care, and the commitment to maintaining these, for families across Shetland; further understands that the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative supports services to provide high-quality, evidence-based care that helps parents build close and loving relationships with their babies, and supports them in their feeding journey to give every child the best possible start in life; notes that, to retain accreditation, services must complete regular audits of both staff and parents to ensure that standards continue to be met; pays tribute to the leadership of Susan Keay, NHS Shetland’s Infant Feeding Lead and Integrated Midwife, in helping the services gain accreditation; believes that the Gold status is a testament to the commitment, dedication and hard work of the maternity and health visiting teams in Shetland in delivering person-centred care for families in the Shetland community, and wishes all staff in these teams well.


Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Colin Beattie, Miles Briggs, Ariane Burgess, Annabelle Ewing, Rhoda Grant, Monica Lennon, Liam McArthur, Edward Mountain, Audrey Nicoll, Martin Whitfield