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Our professions

Midwifery

The midwifery service at RWT has a dynamic, committed and innovative team.

Midwives are highly skilled professionals – they make decisions and recognise any complications and the need for escalation very quickly.

Midwives work both autonomously and alongside a range of different colleagues.

Our midwives work in a number of different areas, including:

  • Midwifery Led Unit (MLU)
  • Consultant Led Unit
  • Post- and antenatal wards
  • Fetal assessment
  • Maternity Triage Unit
  • Induction of Labour Unit
  • Day Assessment Unit
  • Outpatients

We work closely within our Local Maternity and Neonatal System, accepting transfers from other trusts for women whose baby may need care on our level three neonatal intensive care unit.

RWT also has a team of community midwives, who look after women throughout their maternity journey. They are also skilled at home births.

Specialist midwives

These are midwives who focus on specialist areas and support women at higher risk.

We have the following specialist roles:

  • Digital technology
  • Professional development
  • Public health/infant feeding
  • Diabetes
  • Twin and multiple birth
  • Governance
  • Bereavement
  • Vulnerable women
  • Safeguarding
  • Continuity of care
  • Audit

Specialisms

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.

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 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 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 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.

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.

The DoM is a member of the board at RWT