Stretching midwifery horizons
Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, current Chief Midwifery Officer provides an introduction to the current developments and plans for the maternity services. She raises the current challenges and funding gaps in finance with the analogy of the conveyor belt of care. She talks about the maternity confidential inquiries and discusses the current inequalities in perinatal outcomes. Jacqueline also explains the changes in statutory midwifery supervision and points to the developments of A-Equip, which are now underway. The maternity review and business priorities for the time are also covered.
Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, Chief Midwifery Officer for England
Looking to be a student midwife resources
All4maternity journals and resources
https://www.all4maternity.com/
Byrom, S. and Downe, S. (eds) 2015 The Roar behind the Silence: why kindness, compassion and respect matter in maternity care London: Pinter and Martin Ltd.
Ellie Durant Midwife Diaries
https://midwifediaries.com/about-ellie/
Hazard Leah 2019 Hard Pushed: A midwife’s story
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hard-Pushed-Midwifes-Leah-Hazard/dp/1786331608
NHS Health careers website
https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/midwifery/roles-midwifery/midwife/entry-requirements-and-training-midwifery
Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) 2019 Future midwife project https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/midwifery/education/
NMC 2019 Standards of proficiency for midwives https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/standards/standards-of-proficiency-for-midwives.pdf
NMC Becoming a midwife
https://www.nmc.org.uk/education/becoming-a-nurse-midwife-nursing-associate/becoming-a-midwife/
Become a student midwife – Mama Academy
https://www.mamaacademy.org.uk/professionals-hub/midwifery-resources/become-a-student-midwife/
Become a midwife – RCN
https://www.rcn.org.uk/professional-development/become-a-midwife
Midwives – Our Stories
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGkph1NtiNFVsyEzzce7rNy3z0Pv0Lq_p
The Midwives Series 2 Episode 6 Midwife in the Making
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wArCSnlbKeg
Ellie’s Journey to Midwifery
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2MBAyif117yw1BgKfe8h6w
Confessions of a midwife
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXRbUJeLR42AgnEX7c6t8Kg
Student Midwife Notes
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC08KLY4DA9mWwheUSgiwTrQ
Cindy The Student Midwife
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRwGw_dtjG4vEszYzXpQ6og
The Midwife Life
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheMidwifeLife
Sophie Charlson – The Midwife Series
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkmttkZIA2WXTqhB9zz3AWtjYffk_QRCN
Nadine Nayy -Midwifery
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa3GvuFvXEcy3lXPpZATjEX_3suAzJVrG
Student Midwife Char
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0pbGaoA5zGIBDEpwxT6_tw
Demonstrating your learning: Looking to be a student midwife
We hope you have enjoyed watching the video box set. The aim of producing this package is to enable you to learn about an aspect of midwifery practice which you will be able to use to improve the care of women, babies and their families. As a professional there will be times where you will need to demonstrate you have learned and, don’t forget that, writing down your learning will help this to be embedded in your memory! To this end we have devised some questions to help you progress. You may, of course, devise your own questions as well. These may then be used as part of your professional validation in the future.
Learning Outcomes
After watching these talks you will have:
- Explored new developments in midwifery policy and education in the UK.
- Gained knowledge about how interviews are undertaken.
- Explored preparing for selection for a course and creating presentations.
Reflective questions
- Explore the learning outcomes (LO) of this set of videos. What are the key aspects of the LO that are relevant to you and your scope and code of practice?
- Summarise what you have learned from these videos
- What are the feelings that have been raised as you watched them? Why you have felt this?
- What are the key pieces of research or evidence that you have learned about?
- How will this learning now affect your practice; the women, babies and families in your care?
- Are there ways you plan to make changes or take forward with others?
- What else would you like to find out about to help your learning on this topic?

Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, Chief Midwifery Officer, NHS England
Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent has vast experience in healthcare provision. She is a registered nurse and midwife and is the Chief Midwifery Officer for the NHS in England. She is one of two National Maternity Safety Champions and visiting Professor of Midwifery at Kings College London and London South Bank University.
Jacqueline has held senior positions in clinical practice, education, leadership and management including: Consultant Midwife, Director of Midwifery and Nursing positions for Women’s and Children’s services at Imperial College Healthcare Trust & Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
Academic roles have included: Senior Lecturer, Curriculum Leader, LME and Professor of Midwifery.
Her experience has seen her leading and influencing national maternity standards and guidance. She also influences healthcare, nationally and internationally through, education and publications and is frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences. She is a member of Tommy’s Charity National Advisory Board as Midwifery advisor, and the Women of the Year management committee. Her voluntary work currently includes Midwifery Ambassador for the charity ‘Saying Goodbye’ and trustee for the RCN Foundation.
She has received the HSJ, BME Pioneers award and she has been selected from over 100 nominations for inclusion on Nursing Times’ Leaders 2015 list that celebrates nurses and midwives who are pioneers, entrepreneurs and inspirational role models in their profession.