Antrim Area Hospital’s neonatal unit becomesa first in NI to achieve Bliss Baby Charter Gold award

Back row: Dr Conor O’Neill, Ward Sister Karen Devlin, Lead Nurse Paediatrics and Neonatology, Shirley Montgomery, Dr Lynne McFetridge, Dr Aiveen Higgins, middle row, physiotherapist, Lisa Rainey, TinyLife Family Support Worker, Charlene McKee, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Kathie Dobbin, Bliss Chief Executive, Caroline Lee-Davey, Tinylife Chief Executive, Joanne Morgan, front row, Enhanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Suzie Forbes, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Jackie Quigg, Chief Midwifery Officer, Caroline Keown, and Northern Trust Interim Chief Executive Suzanne Pullins celebrate the Bliss Gold accreditation.

Antrim Area Hospital’s neonatal unit has marked a historic milestone after becoming the first in Northern Ireland to receive the prestigious Gold accreditation from the Bliss Baby Charter — a leading national framework for improving neonatal care and supporting families.

The accolade was formally presented by Bliss Chief Executive, Caroline Lee-Davey, during a special event attended by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Northern Ireland’s Chief Midwifery Officer, Caroline Keown.

The Bliss Baby Charter is a comprehensive quality-improvement tool that enables neonatal units to assess, audit, and enhance the care they deliver to premature and sick babies, placing family involvement at the heart of the process.

Units must demonstrate excellence in family-centred care and evidence meaningful impact for babies and parents to achieve the Gold standard.

“Immensely proud”: Northern Trust praises staff dedication

Chief Midwifery Officer, Caroline Keown pictured with Karen Devlin, Neonatal Unit Ward Sister, and Northern Trust Interim Chief Executive, Suzanne Pullins.

Northern Trust Interim Chief Executive, Suzanne Pullins, commended the unit’s multi-disciplinary team on their commitment and compassion.

She said:

“I am immensely proud of our multi-disciplinary neonatal unit team. To be recognised at this level by the Bliss Baby Charter is not only an outstanding achievement, but it is also so richly deserved.

“My heartfelt thanks to all the staff in the unit who go above and beyond every day and whose professionalism and compassion shines through in everything that they do.”

Pictured at the presentation of the Bliss Gold award are Shirley Montgomery, Lead Nurse Paediatrics and Neonatology, Kathie Dobbin, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Suzie Forbes, Enhanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Bliss Chief Executive, Caroline Lee-Davey, and Jackie Quigg, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

Ms Pullins added that the recognition comes at a time of continued investment in maternity and neonatal services across the Trust:

“This is an exciting time across the organisation with our neonatal unit continuing to be recognised at the highest levels, and construction of our £5.7m Alongside Midwifery-Led Unit at Antrim Area Hospital progressing well.

“These developments reflect our commitment to strengthening and improving the services we provide to families right across the Trust area.”

Passion and progress recognised with Gold award

Back row, left-right, Jackie Quigg, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Kathie Dobbin, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Charlene McKee, TinyLife Family Support Officer, Suzie Forbes, Enhanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Lisa Rafferty with baby Leo, Ward Sister Karen Devlin, Lisa Rainey, physiotherapist, front row, left - right, Nikaela Simpson with baby James and Lucy Finn with baby Jacob.

The neonatal team received Silver accreditation earlier this year before progressing to Gold — a journey requiring extensive evidence gathering, audit work, and demonstration of best practice.

Shirley Montgomery, Lead Nurse for Paediatrics and Neonatology, said the team was honoured to achieve the milestone.

She said:

“We are honoured to receive this recognition. The team has undertaken a lot of work to move through the Charter levels – we received the Silver accreditation earlier in the year and are delighted to have now achieved Gold.

“Everyone in the team is so passionate and committed to providing the highest levels of care to the babies and families in our unit. We want to give each and every one of them the very best start in life and I think this is reflected in the Charter.”

Bliss: “A fantastic achievement”

Pictured at the Bliss Gold presentation, left-right, Chief Midwifery Officer, Caroline Keown, Northern Trust's Head of Children’s Nursing and Interim Divisional Nurse, Grace Edge, Ward Sister, Karen Devlin, Northern Trust Interim Chief Executive, Suzanne Pullins, and Shirley Montgomery, Northern Trust Lead Nurse, Paediatrics and Neonatology.

Congratulating the Trust, Bliss Chief Executive Caroline Lee-Davey praised the unit’s dedication to family-integrated care.

She said:

“This is a fantastic achievement for the team at Antrim Area Hospital – we are delighted that the unit is now the first in Northern Ireland to be awarded Bliss Baby Charter Gold accreditation.

“Throughout the process, it has been clear that the team is delivering the highest level of family-integrated care for all babies, which we know is best for these babies and their families. The whole team should rightly be very proud of their achievement – well done!”

The award represents a significant step forward for neonatal services in Northern Ireland and underscores Antrim Area Hospital’s commitment to delivering the highest quality care to some of the region’s most vulnerable patients.