VOLUNTEERS are today gearing up to deliver milk to babies in need at Ipswich Hospital.
The neo-natal unit at the Heath Road trust is teaming up with Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SERV (Service by Emergency Rider Volunteers) to help new mums, unable to breast feed or express their own milk.
Neo-natal unit matron Sheila Gauld said: “Breast milk is very important for the health of babies, particularly those in special care.
“It’s absolutely terrific that there are volunteers out there willing to help get the milk to the babies who need it.”
The service involves members of SERV collecting donor breast milk from the Rosie Maternity Hospital in Cambrigeshire, delivering it to the Heath Road hospital.
Founder and chair of the organisation Bev Lambert added: “We are delighted to launch this new service for the collection and delivery of donor baby milk with Ipswich Hospital.”
While the hospital has to pay for the milk, the SERV volunteers will be on-call every night from 7pm to 6am as well as during the daytime at weekends, free of charge.
SERV volunteers already work with the hospital’s blood transfusion team – delivering blood and blood products for patients.
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