Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is proud to have a dynamic, committed, and innovative midwifery team. Our midwives are highly skilled professionals, adept at making crucial decisions and swiftly recognizing complications that require escalation. They work both autonomously and collaboratively with a wide range of colleagues to ensure the best possible care for expectant and new mothers.
Our dedicated midwives provide comprehensive care across numerous areas, including:
We also work in close partnership within our Local Maternity and Neonatal System. This collaboration allows us to accept transfers from other trusts, particularly for women whose babies may require the specialized care offered by our Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Our exceptional community midwives are fundamental to the maternity journey, providing continuous support to women in their homes from early pregnancy through to the postnatal period. They are also highly skilled in facilitating home births, offering a personalized and comfortable birthing experience.
At Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, we have a range of specialist midwives who focus on particular areas, providing enhanced support to women with higher-risk pregnancies or specific needs. These vital roles include:
Our diverse team ensures that every woman receives the expert, compassionate care she deserves throughout her maternity journey with Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust.
Professional midwifery advocates (PMA)
Our professional midwifery advocates offer pastoral support to midwives, and are advocates for education and development, and quality improvement. They also offer restorative clinical supervision.
Quality experience and normality leads (QEN)
This role is unique to our Trust and has been commended nationally.
Quality experience and normality leads develop and offer support to our newly qualified midwives.
They are highly experienced and ensure that the correct level of support is in place for new starters in the service.
Healthcare and midwifery support workers
Healthcare support workers and midwifery support workers enhance women and their babies’ care throughout pregnancy and following the birth. They work closely with midwives to support delivery of care across inpatient and outpatient settings.
They provide a high level of personal care to women and their babies and have a wide range of skills – including providing nutrition and hydration, assessment of vital signs, phlebotomy, neonatal screening, and public health advice.
They are valued members of the maternity team and support midwives in delivering high quality care.
Matrons
Matrons are very senior midwifery experts who lead and coordinate maternity services operationally.
Matrons are responsible for good governance and safety, and ensure quality care is maintained. They are responsible for ensuring continuous quality improvement, and that robust systems and processes are in place to provide safe, effective care.
They are excellent role models and leaders, and highly visible in clinical areas.
Deputy heads of midwifery
Deputy heads of midwifery are very senior midwifery experts. They lead and coordinate maternity services operationally and have strategic oversight of the service.
They work closely with the Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems (LMNS) and support the director and head of midwifery to deliver the maternity service’s strategic objectives.
Director of midwifery (DoM)
The director of midwifery is a very senior midwife with vast experience of midwifery and maternity services.
The DoM has overall responsibility for the midwifery teams. They lead the services from a strategic perspective, ensuring that all national safety recommendations, quality improvements, and best practice standards are implemented and maintained.
