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Welsh midwifery professor receives prestigious RCM Fellowship

on 12 June 2019 RCM Fellowship

The Royal College Midwives (RCM) has awarded Cardiff midwife and Professor Julia Sanders PhD with an RCM fellowship.

Julia has been a midwife since 1986 and for most of her career has combined clinical, teaching and research roles. Julia was a Consultant Midwife in Cardiff for 12 years from 2005, and currently works in a post jointly between Cardiff University and Cardiff & Vale University Health Board developing and delivering research and encouraging others to do the same.

At Cardiff University she is the lead on a programme of midwifery research in the School of Healthcare Sciences. Current studies include the NIHR funded POOL study evaluating the safety of water birth for mothers and babies and is evaluation of the effectiveness of the Family Nurse Partnership Programme in England and Scotland. Julia’s main methodological expertise is within randomised trials and the use of routinely collected NHS and other data to answer research questions.

Julia is the Wales NIHR lead for Reproductive Health and Childbirth and has many years’ experience in the design and delivery of large and complex studies evaluating maternity and early years’ interventions.

The RCM’s Fellowship scheme recognises midwives who provide exceptional leadership and deliver excellence in practice, education or research.

Commenting, RCM President Kathryn Gutteridge said; “Julia is renowned for her research and broad midwifery expertise. The impact of her research and how it has improved the lives of women and their babies is clear, something which is supported by an excellent record of dissemination of the research findings in order to reach a wide audience, particularly midwives.

“She has also demonstrated innovative approaches to research in women’s health and her work has contributed to midwifery knowledge and influences practice

Upon receiving her award Professor Julia Sanders said “I am delighted and honoured to receive this award and to become a RCM Fellow. I would like to thank all my clinical and academic colleagues who have inspired, supported and encouraged me throughout my career, and also the many women and midwives who have contributed, or will contribute to future research projects.

“I anticipate that the Fellowship will provide new opportunities for me to support midwives in their care of women, babies and families.”

Four other midwives have also received this national award also from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) for their contribution to midwifery.

  • Dianne Garland SRN RM ADM PGCEA MSc, Founder of MidwifeExpert
  • Sarah Gregson, Consultant Midwife, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
  • Professor Sara Kenyon, Professor of Evidence Based Maternity Care, University of Birmingham
  • Amanda Mansfield, Consultant Midwife and Interim Professional Nurse Lead, London Ambulance Service NHS Trust

All five midwives received their Fellowship yesterday at the Royal College of Midwives Education Conference in Bristol. A separate media release with more detail on each winner is available from the RCM media office.

Read here for more information on the RCM Fellowships.

To contact the RCM Media Relations team call 020 7312 3456 or email media@rcm.org.uk.

 

Note to editors

The RCM is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences and online resources. For more information visit the RCM website at https://www.rcm.org.uk/.


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