Milk bank freezers at the Countess of Chester Hospital are well stocked ahead of the upcoming festive season, with more than 300 litres of pasteurised donor milk ready for dispatch.  

Celebrating a year of achievements, the team behind the service are pleased to enter this winter with a steady supply. 

Staff are well prepared to meet anticipated winter demand from neonatal units for donated milk across the North of England and North Wales, as well as the East Midlands, Yorkshire and Cardiff.  

This is down to the dedication of donors, volunteers and the milk bank team. 

The winter months often create challenges for milk supply and demand, due to colder weather grounding volunteer blood bikers and reducing donor activity during the busy festive period. 

Laura Atherton, milk bank operational manager at the Countess of Chester Hospital, said: "We have had such an amazing year. 

"From expanding our hubs to increasing donations and streamlining our processes, we've made huge strides in supporting neonatal care across the region.  

"Thanks to our amazing donors, bikers and staff, we are in the strongest position we've ever been in as we head into winter. 

"It's humbling to know we are making a real difference for families and vulnerable babies." 

In September, the milk bank opened its sixth hub and its first in North Wales. 

This hub ensures there's enough milk delivered to every neonatal unit in the region within a 49-mile radius, whilst also supporting the team's commitment to reducing their carbon footprint.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, the second unpasteurised hub opened in Preston.

Operated by East Midlands Freewheelers, this hub can store up to 100 litres of unpasteurised milk for local collections before transporting to Chester in batches, saving thousands of biker miles and reducing their carbon footprint towards a greener NHS. 

New initiatives have also been launched this year to enable the team to expand their knowledge and skills to offer maximum support to families who donate, as well as those who benefit from milk donations. 

These include lunch-and-learn sessions and a lactation and loss learning course, for hospital staff across the UK who provide care to women and birthing people. 

This has strengthened ties with neonatal units across the region by meeting educational needs and increasing awareness, meaning more families are supported with informed choice when it comes to accessing donor milk or becoming donors. 

The milk bank at Chester is at the heart of the trust's renewed efforts to be the hospital of choice for women, children and their families.