Director of Midwifery – East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

At East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, we are committed to providing safe, compassionate and high-quality care for the women, babies and families we serve. We are now seeking an outstanding Director of Midwifery to join us at a critical and purposeful moment in our maternity improvement journey.

This is a pivotal leadership role within our organisation and an opportunity to shape maternity and gynaecology services across one of the largest NHS Trusts in England, serving a diverse population of around 700,000 people across three acute hospitals and community sites.

As the most senior midwife in the Trust, the Director of Midwifery will provide strategic and operational leadership for maternity and gynaecology services, working as part of the Women and Children’s Care Group leadership quadrumvirate and reporting directly to the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer.

You will bring visible, compassionate and values-led leadership, setting professional standards, shaping culture and ensuring that the voice of midwifery is strong, confident and influential at sub-board and board level. Our maternity services are currently rated Good by the Care Quality Commission, and we are ambitious to build on this through continuous learning, listening and improvement.

A key priority for the incoming Director of Midwifery will be to lead restorative action for families and staff following the Reading the Signals report. This work requires sensitivity, courage and integrity and sits alongside responsibility for workforce leadership, quality governance, maternity safety initiatives and professional development.

You will work in genuine partnership with women, birthing people, families, staff and our Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership, ensuring services are co-produced, inclusive and responsive, and that health inequalities and poorer outcomes are actively understood and addressed.

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and warmly welcomes applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

For an initial, confidential conversation about this role, please contact our recruitment partners at Hunter Healthcare via Finn McNulty, Associate Partner at fmcnulty@hunter-healthcare.com or on 07966 006091.

Candidate Information Pack