With the partial eclipse visible across the UK recently, space has once again featured in the RCM leadership webinar series. Following the hugely successful webinar with NASA in 2024, the European Space Agency (ESA) took to our screens last month to present a session on the impact of communication, teamwork, culture and leadership from the perspective of mission control.
Many may wonder how this applies to midwifery and maternity care, but for those who attended, the parallels with our NHS maternity services were clear. Effective leadership in UK maternity services is pivotal to ensuring safe, high-quality care for women and families. The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has long championed this through its extensive leadership resources, and this webinar brought fresh insights to the forefront.
Focusing on a no-blame culture and effective, collaborative communication, the webinar aligns seamlessly with the RCM’s vision for transformative leadership in maternity. In maternity, the environment is fast-paced, dynamic and challenging with high-stake decisions as an everyday event. It is critical for leaders to foster a psychologically safe culture where staff feel safe to speak up where learning from both mistakes and safe, everyday care that go right every day is central.
The ESA equally highlighted collaborative communication as a cornerstone of safety critical environments. When midwives, maternity support workers, obstetricians, sonographers, and anaesthetists function as a cohesive unit, learning and sharing expertise and experience, care to our families and the well-being of our staff improves. Getting the workforce right: Strong midwifery leadership and management advocates for clear, inclusive dialogue to bridge gaps between teams, while the Solution Series offers strategies to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration.
The RCM is dedicated to supporting our midwifery leaders with programmes such as Syndeo for Band 7 leaders and the Leading with Impact and Intent Director of Midwifery and Aspiring Head of Midwifery Programmes. The ESA reinforces that leaders who prioritise communication can break down silos, ensuring that everyone, from frontline staff to board-level directors, contributes to exemplary care and safety.
It’s clear that the ESA webinar mirrored the vision of nurturing a no-blame culture and robust communication are practical necessities. These principles will drive a future where maternity leadership is compassionate, collaborative, and relentlessly focused on safety. Together, we can transform maternity services for the better, and the stars are the limit.
