NHS Ayrshire And Arran Women and Children’s Service

16/08/2026

14/08/2026

Today, we’re sharing a heartfelt thank you from a family whose daughter was cared for by our paediatric teams at Crosshouse Hospital.

For any parent, having an unwell baby can be an incredibly frightening experience. We’re so grateful to hear how the kindness, care and reassurance shown by our staff helped support this family through such a difficult time.

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. 💙

11/08/2026

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods are payments to help with the costs of supporting your family.

07/08/2026

Entries open 👇

💙 Do you know someone in NHS Ayrshire & Arran who deserves to be recognised? 💙

Every day, staff across NHS Ayrshire & Arran go above and beyond to provide outstanding care and support to patients, families and communities. From frontline clinical teams to the people working behind the scenes, their compassion, dedication and innovation make a real difference.

Now it's your chance to celebrate them by nominating them for Scotland's Health Awards 2026.

Whether it's an inspiring Nurse, a compassionate Midwife a dedicated Support Worker, an innovative Healthcare Scientist, an exceptional Top Team, a rising Young Achiever or a colleague who deserves to be recognised as an Unsung Hero, there's an award to celebrate those who make a real difference – with many more categories to choose from.

✨ If someone has inspired you, supported your team or made a lasting impact on patients or the community, take a few minutes to nominate them today.

Let's showcase the incredible people and teams across NHS Ayrshire & Arran and give them the recognition they deserve.

Nominate today: https://nhsscotlandevents.com/scotlands-health-awards-2026

07/08/2026

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What a week in Ayrshire Maternity! 🎉💛*

On Tuesday we came together to celebrate 3 huge milestones:
> *20 Years* of Ayrshire Maternity Unit
> *30 Years* of being Baby Friendly
> *Our Prestigious GOLD Award*

We were honoured to be joined by the *Health Minister*, our *Chief Executive*, *Board Members*, *Senior Management*, our *BFI Professional Lead*, *our families who attended*, past leaders, partners and our incredible team

Thank you to all who came* to make it such a great event.

This award belongs to all staff in maternity* — midwives, nurses, doctors, support staff. Your dedication, compassion and teamwork made Gold possible.

Here’s to the next chapter 💫

>

07/08/2026

For Feedback Friday 💜

This week we're delighted to share some positive feedback from a family who recently received care from our maternity services.

"With recent media reports highlighting concerns around maternity care, I wanted to share my positive experience of the care I received from Ayrshire Maternity Services. Midwife Mhairi provided excellent support throughout my pregnancy, helping me feel cared for and confident at every appointment. Following the birth of my baby, both Mhairi and Maternity Care Assistant Kayleigh were kind, supportive and reassuring during my postnatal care. During my hospital stay, Hazel provided excellent support following my Caesarean birth and offered valuable advice to aid my recovery. I would also like to thank my Health Visitor, Janice, whose ongoing support, experience and guidance have been invaluable. I feel extremely well supported and wanted to celebrate the wonderful care I have received."

🌟 Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and for recognising the dedication of our maternity and community teams. Your feedback means a great deal to our staff and helps us celebrate the compassionate care provided across Ayrshire every day. 💜

05/08/2026

Crosshouse Children's Fund was delighted to support a recent celebration event for Ayrshire Maternity Unit (AMU), marking 20 years since their move to Crosshouse Hospital and 30 years of their Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) accreditation. The unit also recently achieved the UNICEF Baby Friendly Gold Award.

The event recognised the dedication and compassion of the team's staff over more than three decades, and celebrated the positive impact they've had on women, babies, and families across NHS Ayrshire & Arran. We funded a celebratory lunch and decorations to show our appreciation for the Infant Feeding Team and the families they support. Public Health Minister Maree Todd was also in attendance. She shares:

“Supporting, protecting, and promoting breastfeeding remains one of the most effective ways to improve the health of mother and baby, in both the short and long term.

“During World Breastfeeding Week, it is wonderful to celebrate the collective efforts across partnerships and communities in driving positive cultural change across Ayrshire and Arran that supports families and gives babies the best start in life.”

We are proud to have supported Ayrshire Maternity Unit since 2019, helping to support life-changing projects and services, including our "Express Yourself" breastfeeding packs, and the recently enhanced AMU garden spaces.

Help us continue to care for families in hospital across Ayrshire: https://bit.ly/CCF_DONATE

04/08/2026

We're celebrating 30 years of UNICEF UK Baby Friendly status and the achievement of the prestigious Gold Award accreditation.

The award was formally presented by Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, Maree Todd, during a recent visit to University Hospital Crosshouse, giving staff the opportunity to celebrate this remarkable achievement together.

This recognition reflects three decades of dedication from our midwives, neonatal nurses, health visitors, infant feeding specialists and support staff who have supported generations of families across Ayrshire and Arran.

Read more: https://www.nhsaaa.net/ayrshire-maternity-services-celebrate-30-years-of-baby-friendly-care-with-prestigious-gold-award/

03/08/2026

Public Health Scotland publishes an annual report on Infant Feeding in Scotland. Collecting
data on breastfeeding is important for Scotland as a nation so we can track progress over
time, understand what is working for families, where improvements are needed and ensure
families receive the best possible support.

69% of babies in Scotland were breastfed for at least some time after their birth,
compared to 63% in 2016/17.
For the first time since data began in 2002, more than half (51%) of babies in Scotland
are being breastfed or receiving breastmilk at 6-8 weeks of age.
By the age of 13-15 months, 21.5% of babies in Scotland are breastfed or receiving
breast milk.
Inequalities in breastfeeding have been reducing over the past 10 years - this is because
recent increases in breastfeeding have been most marked among those living in more
deprived areas.

01/08/2026

The best way to protect your baby from serious disease is getting the recommended vaccines at the right time. If you're pregnant, you'll be offered the RSV vaccine from 28 weeks. Speak to your midwife about getting the vaccine.

Visit http://nhsinform.scot/rsv-baby for more information.