Having spent many years working in health care settings and then many more teaching pre and post registration midwives it is clear that many things have changed in that time. Midwives and maternity services have to respond and adapt to a more culturally diverse population. With changing demographic profiles more women with increasingly complex health needs are presenting for care and are often well informed about their rights and have high expectations of NHS services.
Teaching commitments include helping students address issues surrounding equality and diversity, including disability rights, ethnicity and how social policy decisions affect women and their families.
My research interests have engaged with women as partners in their care and by involving fathers and voluntary organisations it is hoped we can better understand the lived experiences of service users and respond accordingly where there are deficits but also to disseminate best practice.
More recently have becoming involved in a HEFCE funded Catalyst bid with Kingston University as the lead partner but with 6 other HEI's addressing the issues around student attainment as part of a wider Freedom to Achieve project here at DMU.