The story of the Baby Charter

When Bliss launched the Baby Charter in 2005, it was the first time that the rights of a baby born premature or sick had been clearly set down.

The first iteration of the Baby Charter was seven simple statements that encapsulated the care, respect and support that the most vulnerable babies should receive. These core principles of family-centred care – known today as the seven standards – were developed by Bliss together with an expert panel of multi-disciplinary health professionals.

In 2009, we then published a fuller set of standards that set out how the Baby Charter’s principles could be made a reality on neonatal units. This detailed framework helped units to assess and audit their service, and became a key tool in delivering excellent family-centred care and evidencing the positive difference it makes.

The positive impact of the Baby Charter didn’t go unnoticed, and it has become a nationally recognised tool referenced in the NHS England Neonatal Critical Care Review, Neonatal Critical Care Transformation Review, the BAPM Quality Indicators, the RCPCH QI resource map, the National Neonatal Audit Programme and the BAPM FICare framework for practice as well as being endorsed by the Scottish Government and included in the All Wales Neonatal Standards.

This Bliss Baby Charter is now a tool that helps examine the procedures, practices and environment of a neonatal unit. The Baby Charter encourages healthcare professionals to empower parents to be primary caregivers through joint decision-making and hands on care, as well as understanding families’ needs and availability in order to provide truly individualised care. This facilitates a solid foundation for Family Integrated Care. Achieving Bliss Baby Charter accreditation is an esteemed marker of quality.

Continuous improvement is at the heart of the Baby Charter and in 2019-20 we updated key elements to reflect best practice and provide more detail to help units meet the standards, no matter the size of their unit or the resources available. 

In 2023-2024 we carried out a consultation with key stakeholders, which resulted in an improved model of progression for units and clearer standards and evidence criteria regarding the provision of psychosocial support on a neonatal unit.

Today, over 100 neonatal units are actively taking part in the Bliss Baby Charter, and this gives Bliss a unique view of neonatal practice across the UK. By sharing this best practice in the neonatal community, we hope to inspire even more changes and see more babies benefiting from their parents playing an active role in their neonatal care.