Research
The RCM has research at its core. Our Research Strategy indicates the determination of the RCM to be an organisation that has research evidence at its core and that is committed to enhancing the research capacity and capability of midwives for the benefit of women, babies and families.
Maternity studies with RCM involvement as stakeholders
Monitoring and responding to babies’ wellbeing during labour and avoiding impacted fetal head.
Standardising and optimising care of women with childbirth-related perineal trauma.
A joint enterprise between the RCM, Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecology and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LHSTM) with the aim of reducing incidence of OASI.
The National Maternity and Perinatal Audit (NMPA) is a large scale audit of the NHS maternity services across England, Scotland and Wales. Using high quality data, the audit aims to evaluate a range of care processes and outcomes in order to identify good practice and areas for improvement in the care of women and babies.
The UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS) is national system for carrying out research in midwifery units.
Research Prioritisation Project
Maternity research receives less funding than many other areas of healthcare. This project will discover the gaps in evidence across all areas of midwifery practice and maternity care and identify a top 10 research priorities will be championed by the RCM and other organisations to influence funders and policy makers.
The Project
The scope of this PSP will include perspectives gathered from all four countries of the UK from Midwives (regardless of current professional focus), student midwives and maternity support workers, Service users – which include women and birthing people, their partners, families and friends and service user organisations. It will cover perspectives on midwifery/MSW care and practice education and development, workforce and staff wellbeing.
You are invited to register as an Interested Party whereby you will automatically receive the two online project surveys and an invitation to express your interest in attending the final project workshop. Click here to register as an Interested Party.
Head to the James Lind Alliance website to find more about the project, the team behind it and the full protocol.
Project partners
Organisations are invited to register as Project Partners throughout the life of the project to promote the project within in their networks, including dissemination of the two online surveys.
Are you interested in becoming a project partner? Head to our Expression of Interest form.
Support for maternity service users
Completion of the survey may bring up difficult or uncomfortable memories. We have curated a list of organisations that provide support if needed. You can also look at the full list of Project Partner logos to find other organisations that may be able to provide you with specialist support. Alternatively, or in addition, you can contact the maternity service who provided your care.
Supporting researchers
Find out how the RCM can support you with either a move to working in research or furthering your research career.
Small research awards
Our small research Awards are an exciting initiative, available only to RCM members. The aim of the awards is to undertake a research-based activity that could be of benefit to midwives in their careers.
You must be a member of the RCM to apply – see individual categories for details about activity and eligibility. Winners will be asked to record a brief video outlining their work. This will be shared via RCM social media and on the RCM website. The award winners will also be formally recognised at the RCM Main Conference in May 2024.
Prizes for all awards are:
- One year subscription to MIDIRS [If you are already subscribe to MIDIRS then an equivalent book token will be provided]
- £100 voucher
- The opportunity to work with the RCM on a current project or publication
Small Research Award winners 2023
Award eligibility and information for each category.
Student Midwife Award
*Midwifery researchers are defined as Research Midwives working on portfolio studies, midwives undertaking PhD level study, clinical academic midwives and midwives who are undertaking independent research projects/roles.
1 Please ensure that you discuss with the midwife if they would like your submission to keep them anonymous. You will be asked to confirm permission to include any identifying information on the application form.
Early Career Midwife (ECM) Award
Eligibility
At the time that you submit your application you must be an Early Career Midwife within the first three years of your NMC registration. Midwives working in any area of practice can apply – for example midwives working in education or leadership roles, as well as those working in a clinical environment. You must also be an RCM member.
Award activity
Please consider the following question:
‘If you had sufficient funding available to you, what research would you like to do in order to develop midwifery practice1?
We would encourage you to discuss your idea with a midwife researcher*2. This could be someone in your Trust/Health Board or at your local University. Alternatively, you could make a connection with someone outside of your local area.
*Midwifery researchers are defined as Research Midwives working on portfolio studies, midwives undertaking PhD level study, clinical academic midwives and midwives who are undertaking independent research projects/roles.
1 this can be in any area of midwifery practice, for example in clinical practice, management, leadership, education, research or policy
2 Please ensure that you discuss with the midwife if they would like your submission to keep them anonymous. You will be asked to confirm permission to include any identifying information on the application form
Write a 1000 word (+/- 10%) research proposal outline, that explains the way that you would plan this piece of research. This should include:
- Rational: Why is your proposed research important?
- Literature review: What is known about this topic, and what are the knowledge gaps that your research would address?
- Methods: How would you conduct your research, including how you would address any ethical considerations?
- Dissemination: How would you plan to share your findings?
Midwife Award
Eligibility
You must be a midwife more than three years post-NMC registration, and an RCM member. Midwives working in any area of practice can apply – for example midwives working in education or leadership roles, as well as those working in a clinical environment
Award activity
Please consider the following question:
‘If you had sufficient funding available to you, what research would you like to do in order to develop midwifery practice1?
We would encourage you to discuss your idea with a midwife researcher*2. This could be someone in your Trust/Health Board or at your local University. Alternatively, you could make a connection with someone outside of your local area.
*Midwifery researchers are defined as Research Midwives working on portfolio studies, midwives undertaking PhD level study, clinical academic midwives and midwives who are undertaking independent research projects/roles.
1 this can be in any area of midwifery practice, for example in clinical practice, management, leadership, education, research or policy
2 Please ensure that you discuss with the midwife if they would like your submission to keep them anonymous. You will be asked to confirm permission to include any identifying information on the application form
Maternity Support Worker Award
Eligibility
You must be a MSW and RCM member at the time that you submitted your application [even if you have commenced midwifery training when the award winners are announced].
Award activity
‘If you had sufficient funding available to you, what service evaluation or research study would you like to do?
Your service improvement or research study idea could include your clinical practice, your working environment, work force issues or your education and training.’
Write 1000 words (+/- 10%), providing your response to the statement. This should include [as appropriate]:
- The rationale for your idea
- How would you undertake your proposed work
- Any relevant ethical considerations
- How you would share your findings – within your workplace, and beyond your workplace
If you have discussed your submission with a MSW or midwife you may choose to refer to aspects of your conversation within your submission, although this is not essential. You will be asked to confirm permission to include any identifying information on the application form if you do wish to identify them.
Research i-learn Modules
Three i-learn Modules are available to help introduce you to research and support you in undertaking research as part of your midwife role.
An introduction to clinical research in the NHS
Research is a key mechanism for improving services, testing new models of care, and ensuring that quality care is delivered with excellent outcomes for mothers and babies. The research landscape can look complicated! This i-learn module has been developed to support midwives, midwifery students and maternity support workers (MSWs) in understanding the role of research in current maternity care and how it is delivered and implemented in the four nations of the United Kingdom.
Exploring a career as a midwife or MSW researcher
There are varied routes to research careers for midwives.
This i-learn module has been developed to support you in making your research career journey.
Embedding clinical research into practice
This i-learn module has been developed to support you with transforming research knowledge into clinical practice as midwifery practitioners, researchers and leaders. It introduces you to the importance of a ‘research active’ culture, different ways of sharing research findings as well as the practicalities, enablers and barriers to implementing research findings in clinical practice.
Accessing research funding
The RCM, alongside other organisations, offers scholarships to support midwives’ professional development with the aim of encouraging individuals to conduct research, undertake continuing professional development or to enable innovation of changes in practice.
Wellbeing of Women
Wellbeing of Women in partnership with the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) funds Entry Level Scholarships (ELS) which provide successful candidates with up to £20,000 for research lasting normally up to one year. Applicants must be midwives and full members of the RCM. The research must be undertaken in the UK. This award enables midwives to develop research interests in midwifery, maternity services or research with a focus on women’s reproductive health. RCM Entry Level Scholarships for midwives
The following midwife research stories were successful applicants to the RCM/Wellbeing of Women Entry Level Fellowship in previous years. Read stories from Anna, Joanne, James and Sam.
If you are considering applying for this award you may be interested to apply for support through the RCM Research Award Buddy Scheme [RABS] (below).
The RCM Research Award Buddy Scheme supports midwives applying for the Wellbeing of Women Entry Level Scholarship (WoW).
How the Buddy Scheme works
An RCM iLearn module matches buddies with applicants, provides networking opportunities and a virtual classroom for one-to-one and group meetings. After the matching process the buddy-applicant dyad independently decide how they wish to go forward.
How to join the buddy scheme
If you are interested in being a buddy please download and complete this form here. If you are interested in accessing the support of a buddy during the award application process please download and complete this form here and all forms sent to RCM Research Team at research@rcm.org.uk.
Country specific funding schemes
Each UK nation has its own specific health and care research funding streams. Throughout the year different funding opportunities will be available within the four countries. This may include funding for smaller initial research projects, post-graduate study (such as PhD) or for larger research projects. Calls may permit the applicant to select the focus of their research, or the applicant may instead be required to apply within the funder’s priority areas.
- England (with some awards also accessible by researchers outside of England): The NIHR
- Wales: Health and Care Research Wales
- Scotland: The Chief Scientist Office
- Northern Ireland: The HSC R&D Division Northern Ireland
Iolanthe Midwifery Trust
The Iolanthe Midwifery Trust have a range of awards in addition to the Jean Davies award. The Trust welcomes applications from UK midwives and student midwives.
Individual Trusts and Health Boards
Individual Trusts and Health Boards may have charitable funds or funding available through the Research & Development department. Contact your individual organisation to find out what is available.
The Nightingale Fund
The Nightingale Fund supports post registration education and professional development through diploma and post-graduate degrees, including PhDs, specific modules and short courses
The Barbers’ Company Clinical Nursing Scholarships
The Barbers’ Company Clinical Nursing Scholarship enables nurses and midwives making a career in clinical practice to undertake further education. The award is specifically intended for nurses/midwives in, or planning to return to, clinical practice.
Florence Nightingale Digital Fellowship
The Florence Nightingale Digital Fellowship (research focused).
The Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice
The Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice provide a unique leadership development experience for midcareer professionals — policymakers, researchers, clinical leaders, health care executives, and journalists — from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
The Maternity and Newborn Forum
The Maternity and the Newborn Forum, of the Royal Society of Medicine has several research related awards that are open to midwives and student midwives.
The RCN Foundation
The RCN Foundation provides grants to support educational and professional development.
Wellcome
Wellcome have three research funding schemes available.
Wellbeing of Women (WoW)
The Wellbeing of Women have further awards, in addition to the Entry Level Research Scholarship for Midwives.
The Medical Research Council
The Medical Research Council (MRC) funds research at the forefront of science to prevent illness, develop therapies and improve human health.
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Current midwifery and maternity research studies
If you have a study that you would like the RCM to promote and host on its website or would like to discuss a forthcoming piece of research, please get in touch via research@RCM.org.uk.
We hold Research support request meetings every four weeks where your request will be reviewed.
Directors of Midwifery's experience of leading NHS maternity services
My name is Sarah Purdy. I am currently undertaking a Doctor of Education degree at the University of Brighton, and I am conducting this research for my thesis. I am also a Registered Midwife and currently work as an Associate Professor in Midwifery at Kingston University with responsibility for Postgraduate and Workforce Development programmes.
The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of Directors of Midwifery. In particular I am interested in their perspectives on the professional leader aspect of their role and to what extent they feel the NMC expectations of midwives to provide evidence-based, woman-centred care can be achieved within NHS maternity services.
I hope that my findings will inform my work as a midwife educator and enable me to better support midwives at all stages of their career to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed and flourish as midwives.
The research will involve interviewing Directors of Midwifery via MS Teams. These interviews will be loosely structured and are intended to enable the participants to discuss their professional experiences, focussing on whatever aspects of the professional leadership role are most relevant to them.
LGBTQIA+ Perinatal Care Priority Setting Partnership
LGBTQIA+ people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex and asexual. Many LGBTQIA+ people want to be pregnant and give birth, or want to support their partner or a surrogate to be pregnant and give birth. About 1 in 20 pregnant people are LGBTQIA+. People who are LGBTQIA+ are more likely to have a serious complication like a miscarriage or having their baby too early. One reason may be because doctors and midwives do not have good understanding of what LGBTQIA+ people need. LGBTQIA+ people sometimes avoid seeing doctors and midwives because of this.
This project is a priority setting partnership (PSP), facilitated by the James Lind Alliance and the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford. It is led by a team of LGBTQIA+ people, researchers and clinicians.
We launched the first PSP survey in October 2024, which is where LGBTQIA+ people and their perinatal health professionals can share their unanswered research questions. Click the link below to answer our questionnaire.
Exploring views and experiences of women who faced a deviation from their desired choice
To explore the views and experiences of women who, despite expressing a preference for home or free-standing birth centres, faced a deviation from their desired choice.
The dual impact of staff shortages and the ongoing presence of Covid-19 had and continues to profoundly affect midwifery-led service provision in the UK. Nevertheless, these decisions, were not evidence-based, and there has been an increase in rate of interventions, which are associated with undesired consequences, and worsened experiences.
Overall, in the UK, maternity policy and clinical guidance state that women have the option to give birth either at home, in a midwife-led birth centre or in an obstetric-led unit. Nevertheless, closure of birth centres and restricting home births due to staff shortages or covid-19 meant many women could not fulfil their preferred birthplace in a community-based setting.
Further research should focus on the impact of this disruption on women’s and families’ experience of maternity care as these experiences had not been explored yet.
This study could bring data and evidence into policymaking and maternity services management and to consider the effects of depriving women of their choices and wishes and the long-term impact of this.
Closing date: 1 December 2025
For more information, please contact Irati Urbiola Íñiguez at irati.urbiola-iniguez@city.ac.uk
Research impact project: The impact of working practices on midwives' emotional wellbeing
This research impact project aims to assess alternative ways of sharing research findings, specifically through social media campaigns that direct users to a dedicated website detailing the results (see link below).
In 2020, an online UK national survey of midwives working in the NHS was conducted. The survey sought to address a gap in the evidence, specifically how working practices, such as shift length, the ability to take rest breaks, finish shift on time or intershift recovery might influence midwives’ emotional wellbeing. Over 2300 midwives from the four UK nations took part. There were consistent associations between impeded recovery time from current working practices, including a lack of formal methods to monitor this, and poorer emotional wellbeing outcomes that potentially influence midwives’ ability to provide safe and effective care. The findings highlight areas where job design and working practices may be improved, which may contribute to better understanding in staffing and retention strategies.
Whilst key research findings have been published in an open access international peer-reviewed midwifery journal (click here to access), the rise in social media platforms in recent years has introduced innovative methods of dissemination that can reach a wider audience and make the research more visible. An infographic (below) will be used to engage social media audiences across a range of platforms.
Social media posts will direct users to an interactive website that has been created to share the survey’s findings, highlighting factors related to job design that may influence emotional wellbeing outcomes. Findings are also potentially relevant to other healthcare professionals. The website aims to present a plain English summary of the findings, with easy to navigate expandable links and pop-up boxes that provide more detailed information should users wish to explore further. The website also includes interactive regional map of results and opportunity to provide feedback. Access website on this link
A duplicate copy of the website, with a unique URL has been created for midwifery leaders, specifically seeking feedback to understand whether they would consider modifying policies or aspects related to job design in light of the survey’s findings. This link will be shared by the Royal College of Midwives and circulated through their Director/Heads of Midwifery network, but midwifery leaders can request the unique link by emailing the researcher, Dr Jackie Dent via email j.dent2@herts.ac.uk
This project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK
Research and Innovation, through an award from the University of Hertfordshire’s ESRC Impact Acceleration Account. 2024. UH Ethics protocol no. HSK/SF/UH/05619.
Project PI: Dr Jackie Dent, Senior Midwifery Lecturer, University of Hertfordshire.
You can also find me on X @midwifejdent
Experiences of Maternal Critical Illness
The 'PIP' study
We are exploring the views and experiences of parents, midwives and doctors in connection with parents’ involvement in decisions about possible planned birth at 34+0-38+6 weeks of gestation.
Background
We know little about the input parents would like to have in decisions about the possible planned birth of their babies at late preterm or early term. We also know little about what kind of input midwives and doctors think parents should have. However, we do know that around half of women are dissatisfied with their involvement and that some of these go on to become dissatisfied with their maternity care overall. We also know that the views of midwives and doctors sometimes differ.
We are therefore interviewing those with recent experience of such discussions about their views and experiences and hope that this may help us identify ways that parents may best be supported during the decision-making process.
Who are the research team?
The Principal Investigator on this project, Dr Frances Mielewczyk, is a former paediatric and neonatal nurse now working as a researcher at the University of Leicester. Her work forms part of the Leicester City Football Club (LCFC) Research Programme, which is led by Professor Elaine Boyle, Consultant Neonatologist and LCFC Professor of Child Health, and funded by a generous donation from LCFC.
Exploring health and lifestyle in pregnancy: a midwife's perspective
My name is Helen Parsons and I am a psychology PhD student at Birmingham City University. My topic is health behaviours, body image and mindfulness-based concepts in pregnancy. I want to find out about midwives’ experiences and perceptions of providing support and advice on healthy eating and lifestyle behaviours during pregnancy. I am also interested in their views on how healthy lifestyle services within maternity care could be improved. Given that Black and Asian women are more likely to have adverse birth outcomes compared to white women, I am especially interested to speak to midwives who provide antenatal care to pregnant women from ethnically-minoritised groups.
For this study, I would like to talk to NHS midwives who work with women in the antenatal period of any band, in any setting. Third year midwifery students who are working alongside community midwives and who are close to completion of their studies may also be eligible to take part. It will be an opportunity for midwives to tell me about their experiences in this area of antenatal care and input into any recommendations or improvements they would like to see.
Participation will involve completing a brief pre-interview questionnaire and taking part in a 30-minute online interview. My supervisors are Professor Helen Egan, Dr Kathrina Connabeer and Professor Michael Mantzios of Birmingham City University.
Defining Advanced Maternal Age - A survey of UK NHS Trusts
Background:
The proportion of births to women over 35 years of age has increased significantly in the last decade. Care planning for older mothers was highlighted in the 2020 MMBRACE report as an area of concern with recommendations for improvements. However, the definition of advanced maternal age (AMA) varies in the literature. Women’s care plans and care pathways are being defined based on these inconsistent parameters. As a method of validation and context for the PhD titled: Personalized care of women of advanced maternal age, it is important to understand how AMA is being defined in practice across the UK and what key documents are being used to guide clinical decision making and care planning.
The objective of the survey is to audit and map current practice across the UK. Identifying current definitions of advanced maternal age (AMA) and applicable clinical practice guidelines/protocols/care pathways used for this demographic of childbearing women. We aim to reach as many NHS Trusts and maternity units as possible to obtain broad information on different UK countries and regions.
We are seeking to answer the question: How is advanced maternal age being defined in practice across the UK today?
Who is the researcher?
Joanne Rack is a Clinical Doctorate student at the Centre for Midwifery and Women’s Health in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at Bournemouth University. She is being supervised by Dr. Vanora Hundley, Dr. Edwin vanTelijligen and Dr. Ann Luce. A registered midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and with the College of Midwives of Ontario (CMO). She has an MSc. in Reproductive and Sexual Health Research from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. As a maternal health researcher and practicing midwife, she sits on the provincial task force for the revision of current provincial clinical practice guidelines on post-partum haemorrhage for the Association of Ontario Midwives and is a research fellow and part time research assistant under Dr. Beth Murray Davis at The McMaster Midwifery Research Centre.
We would be grateful if you would support this research.
Maternity Services and Previous Tramatic Birth: Research Participation Invitation
“A mixed method study exploring maternity services and support available within the United Kingdom NHS for women presenting in the antenatal period after previous experiences of self-defined traumatic birth.”
My name is Francesca Marino, a midwife and postgraduate student undertaking a Master (MRes) Degree in Health and Social Care Research from the University of Manchester. As part of my Masters Degree, I am undertaking a project looking at exploring maternity services and support provided to women or birthing people presenting in pregnancy with previous self-defined traumatic birth across Maternity Units in the UK.
The findings will provide valuable information on maternity services available, and the way they are provided and will inform future research, which may include reviewing or developing guidelines or developing standardised and evidence-based interventions with improved outcomes for women and families.
Participation will involve completing an online survey accessible via the link below. The survey is addressed to midwives who can provide information regarding NHS maternity antenatal services and support for women or birthing people with a history of previous traumatic birth. If you are unable to provide this information, please pass this e-mail on to a colleague to complete the survey. We would kindly ask you to ensure only one midwife representative of your maternity unit and Trust completes this survey to avoid obtaining more than one response from the same trust or maternity unit.
We aim to reach as many NHS Trusts and maternity units as possible to obtain broad information on different UK countries and regions.
Please note that the survey will ask for information on the maternity service including the number of births per year at your maternity unit, policy related to care, and pathways for previous experience of traumatic birth, so you may want to look at this information before starting the survey.
The survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete depending on the time you need to gain the information stated above.
At the end of the survey, you will also be asked if you would like to participate in a follow-up interview to explore individual experiences and aspects related to caring for women with a previous traumatic birth, by those who provide the services.
We would be grateful if you could support this research.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at francesca.marino@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk or my supervisors helen.white@manchester.ac.uk or kylie.watson@manchester.ac.uk if you have any further questions.
Addressing Ankyloglossia
Melissa Loh is currently in post as an Oral Surgery Registrar working across the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. Allaan Heewa is in his second year as a Dental Core Trainee (DCT) in Paediatric Dentistry working in Barts Health NHS Trust. Both Melissa and Allaan are supervised directly by Mr. Rory Molloy, the Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMFS) working in the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust with a keen interest in the diagnosis and management of tongue ties in paediatric patients.
This project, ‘Addressing Ankyloglossia’, reviews national data collection from Midwives to identify their incidence regarding their approach to tongue tie referral for release. In addition to analysing their experience with managing referrals into OMFS.
The project aims to review the current practice within OMFS departments across the nation. This includes frequency of tongue tie release, the indications for the treatment and review the overall consensus for active tongue tie release.
To help us develop the national questionnaire, the project aims to identify and understand whether OMFS departments have a dedicated clinic for assessment, and whether the patients are assessed by a qualified feeding specialist prior to referral; is there and age criteria and what is the current consensus in regards to follow up after the treatment.
Healthcare professions must consider a parents’ parent or guardian concerns and expectations during the consultation. By reviewing the current practice across the country, a consideration the development of national guidelines could be of unanimous benefit. This is often an emotive topic particularly when discussing the extent of the associated benefits of a tongue tie release; in particular, in relation to the breastfeeding relationship between mother and child.
The link to our online national survey is below. Aimed at healthcare professionals involved in tongue tie release identification and management, we would be grateful if you could spend a few minutes of your time completing this survey which will aid our data collection process.
For more information, please contact Melissa Loh (Oral Surgery Registrar): Melissa.Loh@mbht.nhs.uk
The aim of our survey is to map NHS practice and variations for managing overweight women and identifying and managing women with GDM. We would like staff who have a role in the care of women who are overweight and/or women with GDM to tell us about current practices in their maternity service.
Thank you for your support. Please email anna.davies@bristol.ac.uk for any information.
Examining the experience of midwives as the second victim after making an error in clinical practice
Are you a midwife?
Have you made an error in clinical practice?
Safety in maternity care is very important. I would like to invite you to take part in an anonymous PhD research study about midwives’ experiences of making errors in clinical practice entitled:
An exploratory study examining the concept of midwives as the second victim. What experience do midwives have as the second victim after making an error in clinical practice? IRAS number 312715.
I would like to find out about your experiences as a midwife if you have made an error in clinical practice with a view to establishing an evidence base for this and recommending a specific evidence-based support system for midwives.
All information collected during the research will be anonymous.
Completing the questionnaire and returning it indicates consent to the study. You can stop being part of the study at any time, without giving a reason, but we will keep information about you that we already have.
As a thank you for your time in taking part, if you complete a separate link available at the end of the questionnaire, with your name and email address you will be entered into a draw to win a £25 Amazon Voucher. You will be notified by email if you have won.
Thank you for your help. Your views are so important to me, midwives’ voices need to be heard.
– Natasha Carr
Covid-19 pandemic-related changes in practice for identifying and managing overweight women
Dr Christy Burden and Dr Anna Davies from the University of Bristol and Southmead Hospital (North Bristol NHS Trust), are undertaking a study investigating current and Covid pandemic-related changes in practice for identifying and managing overweight women and women with risk of gestational diabetes (GDM). This work is part of an international trial with colleagues in Australia, Ireland and Spain (Impact Diabetes: URL) in which they are trialling an App-based lifestyle intervention to prevent GDM and reduce maternal weight in pregnancy.
The aim of our survey is to map NHS practice and variations for managing overweight women and identifying and managing women with GDM. We would like staff who have a role in the care of women who are overweight and/or women with GDM to tell us about current practices in their maternity service. Please click on the link below, answering should take around 10 minutes to complete.
Thank you for your support. Please email anna.davies@bristol.ac.uk for any information.
UKMidSS Diabetes in Pregnancy
Rachel Rowe is an Associate Professor and Senior Health Services Researcher in the NPEU at the University of Oxford, and the Head of the UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS), which she set up in 2015, funded by an NIHR Post-doctoral Fellowship. Her research interests include intrapartum care, the organisation of maternity care and women’s experience of care, with a particular focus on midwifery-led settings. She is also a co-investigator for the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Maternal and Neonatal Health and Care.
The UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS) is national system for carrying out research in midwifery units. The UKMidSS Diabetes Study aims to investigate how many women with diabetes (gestational or pre-existing) are admitted to midwifery units for labour care, what the characteristics and outcomes of these women (and their babies) are, and whether some women with diabetes might safely plan birth in a midwifery unit, particularly an alongside midwifery unit where there is ready access to neonatal care.
Ethical review has been obtained from NRES Committee South West – Frenchay
For more information or to discuss participation please visit our website or contact: ukmidss@npeu.ox.ac.uk.
Twitter: @NPEU_UKMidSS
