Announcment to recruit a joint Professor of Midwifery

The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery at King’s College London is partnering with Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to recruit an inaugural joint Professor of Midwifery.

The joint appointment will add strength to the current excellent maternity service for women who choose to have their baby at Chelsea and Westminster, undertaking research, audit and teaching to help promote midwifery-led care across London.

Vivien Bell, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s Head of Midwifery, says: “Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is one of the country’s premier providers of maternity care and we are delighted to be partnering with one of the most distinguished nursing schools in the world.

“This appointment is the first of its kind for the Trust and will allow us to lead the way in practice-based research and innovation and help provide women with real choices in how they give birth.

“Our doctors and midwives are committed to providing outstanding clinical care and leadership and the new appointment will enable us to focus on providing the best possible patient experience and midwifery-led care.

“The appointment will also represent an important step in helping to achieve high clinical standards throughout London by promoting practice-based research.”

Alison While, Associate Dean (Education & External Affairs), of the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, adds: “We are thrilled to be partnering Chelsea and Westminster in this exciting development which will benefit mothers and babies as well as contributing to research to inform best practice in the delivery of maternity services.

“This appointment will strengthen the voice of midwifery within London health services at a time of financial stringency when difficult choices will have to be made.

“We expect the midwife appointed to this role to champion both the contribution of midwifery and the perspective of mothers and their babies within healthcare provision.”