A midwife and sonographer from Orkney, Melissa Lindsay, has won the Midwife of the Year Award at Scotland’s Health Awards, which were held in Edinburgh at a dazzling awards ceremony last Thursday.

The awards celebrate the outstanding work and commitment health care workers in the Health and Social Care network show to patients and communities across Scotland.

The Midwife Award, which receives a large number of nominations both from members of the public and from NHS Scotland employees, is for an individual midwife or team who are providing high-quality compassionate care for women and babies in Scotland.

Melissa, a member of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), qualified as a midwife in 1998. She completed her Return to Practice in 2017 after taking a few years off to bring up her children, and went on to complete her sonographer training in 2019.

Melissa said:

“The nomination for Midwife of the Year was incredibly flattering and to be selected as the winner was just amazing. I love my job as an integrated midwife and feel privileged to work with the women and families of Orkney. Working in a remote and rural setting relies on excellent teamwork and we are fortunate to have a fantastic team.”

Jaki Lambert, Director of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Scotland, said:

“Melissa, a compassionate midwife and sonographer, who leads the National Bereavement Care Pathway implementation across Orkney, ensures that families receive all the care they need at such a difficult time. Her dedication to bereavement support and the Baby Loss Wave of Light Ceremony impacts the community profoundly.”

ENDS