RCM Podcast

Following the release of the RCM’s brand new roadmap to better perinatal mental health, we are joined by maternity staff who specialise in supporting women and families impacted, while looking at what investment and improvements are needed from the Government.

In a very special episode of the RCM podcast, we are joined by the Chief Midwifery Officers of all four nations to talk about their midwifery journeys and their aspirations for midwifery and maternity care.

This month, midwives and student midwives from across the globe travelled to Bali for the International Confederation of Midwives’ 33rd Triennial Congress. With all the pressures faced by maternity services here in the UK, it’s understandable that many of us focus on what’s directly in front of us.

In this podcast episode we are broadening our horizons to take a look at how international midwifery influences our practice here and how we too can influence midwifery across the globe.

Stepping out of the scrubs and into the sequins. In this episode we speak with this year’s RCM Award winners and hear first hand about the incredible projects and partnerships that have improved care for women and families and colleagues too – the work that made them today’s shining stars in the service. We open with the special address from this year’s host, Baroness Floella Benjamin, commending you on your work – work that is full of heart and soul and adventure.  

Every day is a school day – it’s a phrase that could be written for working in and around maternity. We are continuously learning, from the colleagues around us and the women in our care to the education and training that is part and parcel of midwifery and maternity support. In this month’s episode, we look at education through different lenses and hear from students, midwives and midwifery educators about their experiences.

We often hear the phrase you can't pour from an empty cup but how often do we really apply that to ourselves? All too often we feel guilty about looking after ourselves and when we do put ourselves on our to do list it is often last on the list. In this episode we're going to be looking at self-care and suggesting that looking after ourselves is the best way of looking after others. Hear from inspirational women and RCM members across the UK on how self-care has helped their health and wellbeing.

The RCM podcast is back! In the newest episode of our podcast series, we speak with members on how they became more involved in activism and in the RCM, what inspired them to get more engaged, what was happening at the time and what it has taught them both professionally and personally.

If you want to learn more about what the RCM is doing to support its members when it comes to improving pay and pensions this is the episode for you.

Gemma is joined by Lynne Galvin one of the RCM’s leads on pensions who offers great insight into the upcoming changes happening to the NHS pension scheme from April which will affect RCM members. Lynne also shares some great advice on what members need to do to ensure a smooth transition for those impacted by changes.

In part 2 of this episode, Gemma catches up with Alice Sorby RCM’s Director for Employment Relations for all the latest on the RCM’s Deliver a Decent Deal pay campaign, hear more about the campaigning work the RCM has been doing to improve pay for all its members across the UK. Alice also shares more on the RCM’s recent activity for the 2022/23 pay round and details of the RCM’s submission to the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB), in addition to the RCM’s involvement in the joint pay campaign #WithNHSStaff.

In the first episode of RCM's second podcast series, Gemma Murphy catches up with Digital Midwives from around the UK.

Anne Watkins from Wales, Misbah Mahmood from Leeds, and Moira Mooney from Scotland share their experiences of working as Digital Midwives and the challenges of balancing the role with their clinical work. The RCM's Digital Midwife Advisor Victoria Komolafe joins the conversation with more on what the RCM has planned to support members with the shift to Digital in 2022.

Gemma also talks to the NHS National lead Digital Midwife for Maternity Jules Gudgeon about NHS plans for more formal training for those interested in becoming a digital midwife and why there is such variation in bands and what is being done to change that.

If you haven't managed to listen to all the episodes from the RCM's 2021 podcast series this is the episode for you. Hear some great highlights including stories from midwives and maternity support workers from across this year and a special Christmas message from RCM’s Chief Executive Gill Walton to RCM members.

In this episode, Gemma meets a selection of this year's RCM Award winners. Hear them tell their inspirational personal and professional stories and how their work and programmes have made a difference to women and their maternity colleagues.

The winner of the NMC's Excellence in Perinatal Mental Health Award from North Middlesex University Hospital Trust, Fiona Laird shares how she and Melissa Jhagroo set up an award-winning service to support women from a diverse range of backgrounds with their mental health during and after pregnancy.

Also, two midwives from Northampton who won the RCM's Race Matters Award Fatima Ghaouch and Sam Sibanda discuss how they have provided additional support to Black, Asian and minority ethnic women during the pandemic and successfully changed pregnancy outcomes. They've also worked hard to tackle racial inequalities in their workplace and share their own personal experiences of racism.

Gemma also meets the RCM's Waterwipes Maternity Support Worker of Year award winner Candice Noonan from Oxford who's specialises in bereavement support at John Radcliffe Hospital.

As the UK's only dedicated trade union for midwives and maternity support workers in the UK  lobbing and influencing is central to what the RCM does day in day out.

If you’ve ever wondered about the lobbying and influencing work that happens behind scenes at the RCM this is the episode for you and an opportunity to hear more about what the RCM is doing for you as a member at national and local level.

In this episode, Gemma meets Stuart Bonar RCM’s Public Affairs to hear more about the RCM as a political influencer and how the RCM gets MP's to listen and advocate for RCM members.

Maternity support worker, Keelie Barrett, shares her experiences and recent workplace wins as an RCM Health & Safety rep, Keelie also discusses her role as an RCM Board member. Gemma is also joined by Sean O’ Sullivan RCM’s Head of Health and Social Policy who talks about the RCM’s One Voice collaboration, how influential the RCM’s policy work has been, and how working together is key to securing stronger influence and wins for RCM members.

In this episode, Gemma catches up with the RCM’s CEO Gill Walton to hear more about what the RCM is currently doing for its members and all the key work that’s happening.

Gemma is also joined by Rosemary Idiaghe a Consultant Midwife for midwife-led care who discusses her career to date and her upcoming session on improving outcomes for Black, Asian and minority ethic women at the RCM’s Conference.

Helen Rogers RCM’s Director for Wales and one of the 2021 RCM conference curators speaks to Gemma about the upcoming conference programme highlights that are not to be missed.

The RCM’s Activist conference took place this week and Gemma meets midwife and RCM Activist Zoe Meneilly from Northern Ireland who has some great advice about the role and tips on how to reinvigorate your local branch.

Also, Grace Thomas Reader in Midwifery and the Lead Midwife for Education at Cardiff University discusses the important role midwifery educators play in preparing student midwives for the realities of practice. Grace who was recently awarded an RCM Fellowship also provides us with sneak preview of what we can expect from her ‘Together we can grow tomorrow’s leaders’ session at conference.

It’s a challenging time for maternity services and in our latest episode Gemma Murphy explores the current issues facing RCM members. Midwife staffing shortages, NHS pay and pregnancy during COVID-19. Hear from the RCM’s Employment Relations Advisor Alice Sorby on all things pay and find out what’s happening with the 3% pay award due to members in England and Wales.

Suzzanne Tyler RCM’s Executive Director for Services to Members talks about pressures on services, staffing shortages, and why the RCM believes midwifery continuity of carer is so difficult to deliver in the current climate given there aren’t enough midwives.

COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy has rarely been out of the news lately and Birte Harlev-lam RCM’s Executive Director Midwife speaks to Gemma about the latest RCM guidance and what tools the RCM has developed to support its members in speaking to women about the vaccine. Gemma and Birte also discuss about how the RCM and it’s Chief Executive were targeted by online trolls and abused for giving evidence-based advice about vaccination during pregnancy.

Student midwives are our future midwives, but what’s it like being a student midwife in 2021? In our new episode Gemma Murphy talks to three student midwives from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland who are all at different stages of their midwifery training.

How has it been on clinical placement and studying during the pandemic?  What inspired them to become a midwife? What have been the biggest challenges? What’s it like to start a profession in law change to train as a midwife? How hard is it to juggle childcare while on clinical placement? and what advice do these student midwives have for anyone considering becoming a midwife.

In this episode Gemma meets midwives from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds who bravely share their personal stories of how racism has impacted their midwifery careers, they speak of the challenges they’ve faced and how they have positively tackled and overcame racist behaviours in the workplace. Some of these midwives experienced racism from their colleagues others sadly from the pregnant women they were caring for and their stories need to be heard. Midwife Lola Onato also talks to Gemma about returning to her University to support diversity in student recruitment.

Gemma also speaks with Kathy Murphy Director of Midwifery at St Mary’s in Manchester and two midwives from her team who together with more midwifery colleagues have created a new book ‘With Women – A collection of Stories from Black and Asian Midwives’ aimed at increasing diversity in the midwifery workforce by sharing their personal journeys on how and why they became midwives.

This episode also includes an interview with the two women behind the grassroots campaign FIVEXMORE who continue to lobby and campaign to improve maternal and pregnancy outcomes for Black women. Gemma interviews co-founders Clo and Tunike to learn more about their maternity experiences as Black women, what drives them on, the training they have rolled out for all midwives and their plans for the future of the campaign

For anyone wanting to hear and learn more about why Race Matters more than ever in maternity services this is a must listen episode!

Maternity Support Workers (MSWs) and Maternity Care Assistants (MCA's) are vital members of the maternity team. They provide support not only to midwives, but to women and their families which is often specialist support such as parenting classes ahead of a baby being born, or specialist breastfeeding support.

In this episode, Gemma dives right into their world to learn more about what they do day to day and what drives them to do it. Catching up with RCM members from Greater Manchester, Scotland, and Norfolk who all have unique and inspiring stories to tell, this episode is not to be missed. 

In the bonus episode Gemma Murphy catches up with the RCM’s Country Directors from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland where we also hear from a community midwife about the challenges she overcame in Northern Ireland. Plus, a very special message from RCM CEO and General Secretary Gill Walton to all RCM members.

This latest episode focuses on the past year and comes a year to the day since the UK went into full lockdown, March 23, 2020. A year like no other for midwives, maternity support workers and maternity services. Birth is not something that can be rescheduled and happens 24 hours a day 365 days a year and midwives have been there delivering care to women and their babies, putting themselves at risk to ensure the safe delivery of new life into the world, but how have they coped? What have been the biggest challenges? And what has the RCM done to support its members during the pandemic?

Gemma will also talk to RCM’s CEO Gill Walton to hear her reflections on the past year and what work is currently happening at the RCM. This third instalment in the new podcast series also features midwives who share their stories and experiences of the past year.

This second episode focuses on the RCM's Caring For You Campaign. Originally launched in 2016 this RCM initiative is aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of midwives and maternity support workers. Given the current pressures of COVID-19 maternity services across the UK have never been more stretched. Staffing shortages, heavier workloads and longer shifts means stress and burnout is all too common amongst RCM members. 

In this episode Gemma Murphy catches up with Gill Adgie RCM's Regional Head for the North of England who leads on the RCM's Caring for You campaign work. Gemma also interviews Jayne Frank and Maryanne Bray two midwives from Cardiff Vale University Health Board who have been instrumental in pushing the campaign forward within their own branch and Health Board. In this episode they share lots of ideas and tips on how they've embedded the campaign in their workplace and how that has supported and improved the health and wellbeing of their colleagues.

If you are looking to launch a Caring For You initiative in your workplace, become a Health and Safety Rep or just revamp your current activities this episode is for you!   

During this first episode Gemma talks to midwives Vlora Purchase from Greenwich and Lewisham NHS Trust and safeguarding midwife Wendy Warrington from Pennine Care NHS Foundation to gain some more insight into the important work they do.  Gemma also catches up with RCM staff who developed a new RCM position statement on supporting women with severe and multiple disadvantage during pregnancy.