Two of the UK's best-known voices in maternity care visited the University of Worcester to inspire the next generation of midwives.
Sheena Byrom OBE and author, broadcaster and practising NHS midwife Leah Hazard spoke to a packed audience of student midwives, sharing lessons from their careers and discussing the future of the profession.
Sheena, who began working in maternity care in 1978, said supporting student midwives remains a priority.
"For me, meeting student midwives is incredibly important," she said. "We're at a crossroads in English midwifery and having seen more than four decades of changing practice, I want to pass on not only clinical skills but emotional skills too, so they can continue this work long after I've gone."
"What strikes me about these students is how open they are to knowledge and new ideas, and how determined they are to make a difference. I hope my messages give them the confidence to go on and achieve the things I've tried to achieve throughout my career."
Sheena, who is an internationally recognised advocate for compassionate, woman-centred childbirth, said speaking to students always gives her hope for the future.
"It's always a huge privilege to be invited to speak to students because they're my favourite audience," she said. "They're the future. It won't always be easy for them, but they're arriving at a turning point for the profession, and they'll be the ones driving the big changes."
The visit came at a challenging time for newly qualified midwives, with many struggling to secure jobs despite staffing pressures across maternity services.
"It makes me feel frustrated, sad and angry," said Sheena. "I'm hearing from midwives who are under enormous pressure because there's a shortage of staff across maternity services, and yet we have passionate, highly qualified student midwives who can't find jobs.
"To me, that's a travesty. It simply shouldn't be happening. We desperately need midwives and we have talented graduates ready to do the work. The fact that those two things aren't connecting is deeply concerning."
Megan Bourne, Midwifery Student and Chair of MidSoc, the University of Worcester’s Midwifery Society, organised the visit.
She said: “It was a real privilege to welcome Leah and Sheena to our university. Their passion, knowledge and experience were incredibly inspiring and it was a fantastic opportunity to bring students, midwives, and others in the birth space together as a community.”
“These opportunities make a huge difference,” added Megan. “They compliment our university learning and inspire us as we prepare for our future careers and midwives. We know a midwifery degree can be challenging, especially towards the end of the academic year, and we hope this event gave students an inspiring reminder of why they chose this profession.”
For information on courses at University of Worcester visit www.worcester.ac.uk or for application enquiries telephone 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk