Meet the RCM Board

A midwife since 2012, Michelle began her career as a social worker and, after living and volunteering in Boston in the US, discovered her passion for birth. She trained as an NCT teacher before qualifying as a midwife.

She worked as a rotational midwife, then moved into case-loading, followed by time as a community midwife. Her current post is full-time midwifery lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University. She is married and has two children aged nine and 13 – and a Norfolk terrier called Topsy.

Tracy qualified as a midwife in 1992. In 2000, she became a community midwife at Stonehaven Medical Group and has worked there ever since. In 2013, she spent four weeks in Nepal as part of the RCM’s Global Midwifery Twinning Project.

The mother of three was also a member of the 2016 review group for maternity services in Scotland and the maternity models of care subgroup.

Giuseppe has 20 years of nursing and midwifery experience and has undertaken a variety of clinical roles in both hospital and community midwifery. Whilst working at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Giuseppe developed an ‘e-midwife’ service – a virtual social media network to improve women’s experiences of communication, access and understanding of maternity services. This was then rolled out across four hospitals in south-east London.

He has held Head of Midwifery posts at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. Giuseppe is currently the associate director of nursing and midwifery at Bart’s Health NHS Trust. He also sits on NHS England’s London strategic clinical network for maternity.

Giuseppe is passionate about midwifery and family centred care. An advocate for women and the midwifery profession, Giuseppe joined the RCM board “to represent midwives and MSWs, and raise concerns such as complexity of maternity services, staffing levels and pay”

A Maternity Improvement Advisor at NHS Improvement. She has over 20 years of midwifery experience from community caseload, to delivery suite co-ordinator, as well as Matron and Director of Midwifery in a challenged service. Sasha focuses on improving and developing services that are facing significant challenges and issues.

On her new appointment Sascha said: I am a midwife who is passionate about and a strong advocate for, our profession, one who wishes to ensure it remains a distinct profession, as it is imperative to ensuring women’s and families continue to experience high quality, safe, compassionate care.

"As a member of the RCM board I would hold the Board to account and ensure that midwives and maternity services remain high on the national agenda, ensuring policy can translate into reality for members and reflects what women and families want and need."

Natalie qualified as a midwife in 2009 at Liverpool John Moores University and has worked clinically both in the hospital and community setting. More recently, she worked as a clinical skills facilitator in a central delivery suite in Manchester and currently works as a labour ward coordinator at Western Sussex NHS Hospitals Trust.

She is a passionate union activist and RCM steward. She led the pay campaign at her central Manchester RCM branch and spent considerable time engaging members in the run-up to industrial action in 2014. Natalie received the RCM Thompsons Members’ Champion of the Year Award in 2015.

"All I wanted was to empower my branch members to make an informed decision," says Natalie. "My goal in joining the board was to drive the RCM in that powerful direction, striving to be as strong, inspiring and bold."

As a midwife in Wales since 2006, Kate has worked in all areas of clinical practice. She is currently a public health midwife at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board (ABMU), specialising in areas such as smoking, obesity and perinatal mental health. She is a member of the All Wales Tobacco Alliance advising the Welsh Government and sits on the perinatal mental health steering group. Kate is also an RCM workplace representative and is part of a very active RCM branch in ABMU.

"I am passionate about keeping births normal and love being able to encourage women with a raised body mass index to maintain a healthy weight and give birth in low-risk settings."

Kate has been married for 24 years, and has a daughter Lorna, son Jack, dog Oscar and cat Nemo. In her spare time, she loves to collect old books.

A midwife for 21 years, Pauline has worked in many areas of midwifery, including hospital, standalone birth centre, community and secondment to the RCM as a caseworker. She currently works as a community midwife and an RCM workplace representative at Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

"I feel so privileged to be in a job that allows you to support women in becoming mothers and watch families develop," says Pauline. "I also work with an amazing team and support them to the best of my ability. I feel very proud to have been elected as a board member."

Outside work, Pauline is the vice chair of Chesterfield Trades Union Council and has worked with the local Stand Up To Racism group. She has two grown-up children who, she says, make her proud every day.

Keelie Barrett a MSW at East Lancashire Hospitals took up her role on the RCM Board this week, Keelie is also a RCM MSW advocate, health and safety representative, steward and previously acted as chairperson for her branch. She has a very active role in campaigning for better working conditions and equal treatment for maternity staff. She will bring her extensive activist know-how to the RCM Board.

This year marks a decade of the RCM MSW membership and accomplishments over the last ten years. These include; the launch of the Health Education England MSW Competency, Education, and Career Development Framework; the first MSW member to join the Implementation Team alongside heads of midwifery, educationalists and other stakeholders. An increasing number of MSWs are being elected as RCM workplace representatives, branch officers and MSW workplace advocates and now a MSW representative on the RCM Board.    

Keelie said: "I am delighted to have been elected to the RCM board, especially as the first MSW to do so. I look forward to being able to represent the views of MSW members at this national level. As a board member I wish to play a pivotal role in continuing to build on the successes of the previous board and be able to positively inspire other MSWs to take up active roles within their local branches, regionally and nationally."

With 30 years experience, she is a Delivery Suite Co-ordinator at Birmingham Women's NHS Foundation Trust. Throughout her career, Janet has worked as a RCM activist, staff side chair, branch secretary and board governor. Her experience in campaigning for members will translate to her new role as a board member, with a focus on equal opportunities for staff and to be treated fairly and equitably. 

Janet said: "As an RCM Representative, I work hard to protect the rights of Midwives, Midwifery Support Workers and the women we care for, unafraid to challenge and to promote what our members believe is right, fair and just.

"An effective Board member will ensure that each members voice is heard, each opinion respected, appreciate the diversity of the group and their views/experiences, and empower them to use their voice. I have a proven track record of achieving this during my tenure as an RCM activist, and as a Staff Side Chair and Secretary and as a Board Governor.

"I have developed resilience to the challenges BME Midwives face, gaining the strength and tenacity to represent all members of the midwifery community, striving for us all to receive equal opportunities and be treated fairly and equitably."

Dee Davies, who is a Maternity Clinical Advisor at NHS Resolution in London, has held a number of senior positions in her midwifery career including clinical, managerial and strategic leadership roles. Dee brings expert knowledge of current national issues affecting midwifery and maternity to her new role as a RCM board member. Dee has been a practising midwife for 25 years.

Commenting on taking up her RCM Board role, Dee said, “I am delighted and privilege that I have been appointed to join the RCM board and I will undertake this role with full commitment, integrity and honesty and I will endeavour to ensure that the members voice is represented at board level."

A Maternity Improvement Advisor at NHS Improvement/NHS England, Neil has worked in different areas of midwifery, including clinical, managerial, regulation and education, and has experience of rural and inner city workplaces. He is passionate about supporting effective leadership across all roles in maternity to ensure safe and effective care for mothers, babies and their families. 

Neil said: "I am ardent about supporting compassionate and effective leadership across all areas of maternity services leading to safe and effective care. As a board member I would ensure that there is a strong focus on the need for positive leadership and effective support for maternity staff working across the United Kingdom.

"We are in the process of transforming maternity care and need to hear the voices of Midwives and Maternity Support Workers to ensure that the challenges facing them are truly being heard and that workable solutions are found if this is going to be a true and sustainable success!"

Sarah Jones, a Specialist Midwife for Improvement and Education at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching NHS Trust took up her Board role last week.

A midwife for 11 years and a RCM steward for 6 years, Sarah works on leading, planning and implementing service improvements and education for effectiveness, safety and sustainability for both women and maternity staff.

At this years national RCM Awards, Sarah took home the RCM Members Champion Award for promoting fairness, vision and knowledge to the profession. She hopes this will translate to her new role in the RCM Board.

Sarah said: "I am very excited to take on this national role and I will ensure that midwives, maternity support workers and women are at the centre of my focus when undertaking this role. I am looking forward to being able to work closely with the RCM team to contribute positively to the work of the college."