The Alexa Trust and The Human Milk Foundation (HMF) in collaboration with SERV and Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust have launched a new milk bank hub in Kent to provide donor human milk to babies in hospital neonatal intensive care and special care units and families at home.
The hub, located in our Maternity Department at Darent Valley Hospital (DVH) will allow more sick and premature babies in the region to receive safe, screened donor milk which will first be pasteurised at the Hearts Milk Bank, part of the HMF.
Milk donors – mums who have milk surplus to their own baby’s needs – donate their milk to the Hearts Milk Bank after careful screening, including via blood tests and health questionnaires. Donor milk is specially heat-treated to make sure it is safe for the most vulnerable babies and then stored in medical grade freezers. SERV (Service by Emergency Response Volunteers) motorcyclists or ‘Blood Bikers’ ensure the safe transport of donor milk from the milk bank to hospitals where it can be used in neonatal units to support babies and to families at home such as mums undergoing cancer treatments.
Dennis Whitmore of the Alexa Trust cut the ceremonial ribbon on the hub’s freezer aided by Director of Midwifery, Michele Ahluwalia, who spoke of her and her colleagues’ pride in hosting the hub on the Maternity Unit.
Find out more about the work of the Human Milk Foundation, the Alexa Trust and the SERV blood bike groups that support the hub: