Scottish midwife receives national midwifery honour from Royal College of Midwives
By RCM on 07 March 2018 RCM Annual Midwifery Awards RCM Honorary Fellowship Midwives
The RCM’s Register of Honorary Fellows is for people who make an outstanding contribution, or give outstanding service, to midwifery, maternity services, services for women and their families or to the RCM.
Rona resided in Scotland up until 1986 where she trained and qualified firstly as a general nurse she then went on to become a mental health nurse before qualifying as a midwife. The midwife originally from Ayrshire now lives in Lewisham, London with her husband Reverend Steve Hall (Vicar of St Marys Church Lewisham).
Professionally Rona has over 25 years experience of working at a national level in a range of leadership roles including in perinatal research, developing professional standards and national policy for maternity services, and in evaluating safety and quality in health care. She has been an epidemiologist in maternal health leading multidisciplinary teams and collaborative networks at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU), University of Oxford; inaugural Professor and Head of Midwifery at the University of Southampton; Midwifery Advisor: Professional Leadership and lead for clinical academic training for non-medical health professionals at the Department of Health in England.
Rona has also worked as a National Professional Advisor-Maternity at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) when she supported developments in maternity service regulation, surveillance and inspection during a period of considerable challenge and system change.
Rona was key to the development of RCM Standards for Midwifery Services in the UK in 2016 and in the same year co-chaired a very large multidisciplinary stakeholder group which produced RCM RCOG framework for standards in maternity services in the UK.
Rona was announced as an RCM Honorary Fellow and presented with her award at the RCM’s Annual Midwifery Awards ceremony in London yesterday (Tuesday March 6th).
Commenting on her award Rona McCandlish said; “This immense honour has come to me only because midwifery and being a member of the RCM has given me unimagined opportunities.
I am delighted to now be both an honorary Fellow of the RCM and of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists – and pledge to do all I can to continue to serve women, families and maternity care as part of multi disciplinary maternity teams.”
Commenting Kathryn Gutteridge, President of the Royal College of Midwives, said; “Rona’s background in health care strategy development in addition to her experience and knowledge in safety, quality and standards of maternity services is truly outstanding.
“Her work has supported and influenced the RCM’s strategic objectives and in 2016 she was key to the development of the RCM’s Standards for Midwifery Services in the UK.I whole heartedly congratulate and thank Rona for her significant contribution to the RCM and midwifery as a whole.”
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