Welcome to our website for the Milk Bank at St Peter’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Thank you for expressing an interest in donating your milk. Donating your milk is very special and can help to save the lives of the critically ill and premature babies we care for. Our Donor milk is used to offer breast milk to vulnerable infants whose own mother is either unable to express her own breast milk, or whose supply is not sufficient for the needs of their baby.
Donor breast milk is a precious resource, so we save it for our most fragile babies. Most of our donated milk is given to babies that are born before 32 weeks. We have a few exceptions, including near or full term babies who are critically ill.
All donated milk is processed according to NICE guidance, ensuring safety and quality. All donors complete a lifestyle questionnaire and undergo serological screening (blood test) at recruitment. The donor milk is pasteurised and tested for bacteria before use on the neonatal unit.
How can I become a donor?
You can donate until your baby is 6 months old.
Please complete this online form. When we have received your completed form we will contact you to confirm your eligibility and arrange for a donor pack to be delivered to you.
Prior to donating you will need to have a blood test screening for:
- Hep B surface antigen
- Hep C antibody
- HIV antibody
- Syphilis antibody
- HTLV antibody
You can book an appointment for a blood test at Ashford Hospital or if more convenient go to your local hospital or GP. A blood form will be included in your donor pack, please take this with you when you have your blood test done.
New Breastmilk Donors Information Pack
How can I access donor milk for my baby?
Unfortunately, we are only able to provide donor milk for babies who are in the neonatal unit. The UKAMB website has information about where you can access donor milk in the community - Contact Details - UKAMB
Ashford and St Peter's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Milk Bank staff
- Emily Newton, Ann Thorne, Carmel Dowling
Contact us
Any queries please email us on
NB: Our usual Milk Bank working hours are Tuesdays 07.15-13.30.
We aim to respond to emails outside of these hours however sometimes this is not possible and you may wait a few days for a reply.
