About
What We Do
UKAMB is a non-profit organisation which was established in 1977. Its original purpose was to encourage communication between milk banks and the wider community. UKAMB supports milk banks to fully implement the NICE Guidelines ensuring the distribution of safe, screened donor milk. UKAMB’s role has developed through the years and now includes information, education and support for milk banks, donors, and parents of recipients, to contribute to and share research.
More recently, UKAMB has increased its support for advocacy, working with like minded organisations to lobby for secure funding and resources for NHS and non-profit milk banks. UKAMB is also supporting a call to introduce tighter regulation of products of human milk origin similar to those in place for blood donation.
Practical Support
We provide practical support to milk bank staff who co-ordinate the provision of donor breastmilk for use within Neonatal Units and in the community. UKAMB also signposts women who are thinking about donating their milk to their local milk bank.
National Advocacy
UKAMB represents milk banks at a wide range of conferences, symposiums, and parliamentary working groups. UKAMB is advocating that all organisations providing products of human milk origin adhere to the NICE Guidelines and to support this is currently seeking a review of the NICE Guideline and lobbying to request a formal recognition and legal framework for human milk to protect donors, donor’s infants and recipients of products.
Educating Banks & Donors
UKAMB aims to ensure that milk banks are staffed and administered by appropriately trained staff, in order that the safety of donor milk is paramount. We also aim to educate the public about the benefits of donor milk, including protecting premature babies from complications such as infections and necrotising enterocolitis.
Support Research
Milk banks in the UK support a wide range of ethical studies across the fields of neonatalogy, infant nutrition, cancer research, and perinatal psychiatry. UKAMB aims to disseminate research to avoid replication and ensure best practice. UKAMB, through its Scientific Advisory Board aims to support further research, data collection and survey with a standardisation of approach to collection and ethics approval. None of the research we support is funded by non-WHO Code compliant companies.
Milk Banking Guidelines
UKAMB has worked closely with the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) to produce guidelines for the safe operation of milk banks, published in 2010. Through our research and inspections, we constantly strive to ensure best practices in milk banks across the country. We also work with milk banks on a regional and national level overseas.
Raise Funds
Milk banks provide a service that is one of the most cost-effective interventions in the NHS. However, additional funding is always needed to further our aims of ensuring access to donor milk for every child who would benefit. UKAMB also aims to contribute to research, supplying training and education for milk bank staff and to raise awareness more widely. Please contact us if you would like to help.
SPONSORS
Labcold
Savant
Sterifeed
Versapak
UKAMB supports non-profit milk banks by assisting them to fully implement NICE Guideline and to provide safe, screened human donor milk, fully track and trace compliance across the UK and Ireland. UKAMB also recognizes the responsibility and duty of care of milk banks in ensuring donors, donor's infants and recipients are protected from harm by donating or receiving donor human milk.