Milk miles: CHIS Social Value supports donor milk access for premature babies

Breast milk donation supports premature and sick babies in the UK. NHS SCW Child Health Information Services (CHIS) used its social value fund to boost donor milk transport and storage in the East Midlands.

Challenge

Breast milk donation in the UK supports the health and development of premature and sick babies, especially those receiving care in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Milk banks across the country, such as The Milk Bank at Chester (MBAC), collect donor milk, which is then screened and pasteurised before distribution.

The distribution of donor milk to NICUs faces several logistical challenges, including the need for sufficient stocks of specialist transport boxes for storage, collection, delivery, and drop-off.

A team of dedicated volunteers with the East Midlands Freewheelers, operating at no cost to the NHS, were doing their best to courier donor milk over hundreds of miles across the region. However, there was a shortage of biker boxes, which are required to transport the milk at the correct temperature, and those still in use had become damaged through extensive use. This shortage was resulting in wasted volunteer hours, an increased carbon footprint, and delayed deliveries to neonates in need.

What we did

The MBAC Operational Manager shared that just two additional boxes would greatly improve their operations and boost access to essential nutrition for sick babies in the East Midlands.

NHS SCW CHIS recognised the level of need and its potential impact, and decided to fund the purchase of 10 new insulated biker boxes (approximately £1,500), far exceeding the original request of 2.

This funding was provided by the CHIS Social Value fund, a small pot of money ringfenced within each contract, to deliver additional value to staff, patients and communities.

Activity

Child Health Information Services

Promoting children’s health and wellbeing

Health improvement and inequalities

Boosting access to essential nutrition for premature and sick babies

CHIS Social Value

Promoting healthy starts for children where it’s most needed, beyond their contracts

Impact

Additional biker boxes improved logistical efficiency by speeding milk delivery from the hub to hospitals in need
Lower carbon footprint by collecting more milk in fewer trips
Increased access to essential nutrition for premature and sick babies

Providing more biker boxes to the East Midlands network has made a big difference! These boxes have enabled us to swiftly deliver milk from our hub to hospitals in need. Our volunteers can now collect more milk in fewer trips, reducing our carbon footprint. A huge thank you to CHIS for the support. The funding has already been made, and will continue to make, lasting improvements to our service.

We can’t thank the donors enough for these brilliant cooler boxes, our team delivers milk more efficiently and confidently. They're durable, easy to carry, and exactly what we need. It might seem like a small thing - but it means a lot to us and has made a real difference.

Get in touch

If your organisation shares our mission and operates in our service regions, complete our short application form to access CHIS Social Value, or book a discovery call with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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