Patient Safety and Quality Specialist Midwife in North East

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Patient Safety and Quality Specialist Midwife

The closing date is 18 November 2026

This advert is only open to applicants who are currentlyemployed by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.

The Patient Safety and QualityMidwife is a key leadership role within Maternity Services, responsible forsupporting the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality care for women,babies and families. The post holder will lead on maternity patient safety,incident management, investigations, risk management, learning from events, andquality improvement initiatives. Working closely with multidisciplinary teams,they will coordinate patient safety investigations, monitor clinical risks,support governance processes, contribute to guideline development, and ensurelearning is embedded into practice. The role combines clinical expertise withleadership, education and service improvement to promote a positive safetyculture and support compliance with local and national maternity safetystandards. The post includes a clinical component to maintain professionalexpertise and credibility within practice. Based on the Trust's maternitypatient safety agenda, the role will help drive continuous improvement andimprove outcomes for women, babies and staff.

Main duties of the job

The Patient Safety and Quality Midwife will leadand support the maternity patient safety, governance and quality improvementagenda across the Trust. The post holder will coordinate and investigateclinical incidents, undertake patient safety investigations and identify trendsand themes from incidents, and ensure learning is shared and embedded intopractice to improve outcomes for women and babies. They will provide expertadvice on risk management, support the maintenance of the maternity riskregister, contribute to clinical governance processes, and produce reports forTrust committees and maternity governance meetings. The role includessupporting the development and implementation of clinical guidelines,responding to national safety recommendations and alerts, delivering educationand training on patient safety and risk management, and working collaborativelywith multidisciplinary teams to drive continuous service improvement. The postholder will also liaise with legal services regarding claims and inquests,support staff through investigations, and maintain a clinical presence withinmaternity services to ensure credibility and understanding of current practice.Through visible leadership, the role will promote a positive safety culture,encourage learning, and support the delivery of safe, effective andcompassionate maternity care.

About us

If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager.

You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.

Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents.

Over reliance onAI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances ofsuccess.

For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.

Please note that we may close any vacancy early once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

Job responsibilities

ThePatient Safety and Quality Midwife plays a pivotal role in ensuring thedelivery of safe, effective and high-quality maternity care across theorganisation. The post holder will provide professional leadership for patientsafety, risk management, governance and quality improvement activities withinMaternity Services. The role involves leading and supporting investigations ofclinical incidents, complaints, claims and patient safety events, ensuring thatinvestigations are thorough, learning is identified and improvements areimplemented and sustained.

Workingclosely with multidisciplinary teams, the post holder will analyse patientsafety data, identify trends and emerging risks, contribute to the developmentof action plans, and monitor compliance with local and national safetystandards. They will support the maintenance of the maternity risk register,prepare reports for governance and assurance groups, contribute to servicereviews, and assist with external inspections, quality assessments andaccreditation requirements.

A keyaspect of the role is promoting a culture of learning, openness and continuousimprovement. The post holder will provide expert advice and support to clinicalteams, deliver education and training relating to patient safety and quality,and work collaboratively with staff to improve clinical practice and patientoutcomes. They will contribute to the development and review of clinicalpolicies, guidelines and pathways to ensure care remains evidence-based andaligned with national recommendations.

The rolealso includes liaison with families, external agencies, commissioners andregulatory bodies where required, ensuring that concerns are managedsensitively and professionally. The post holder will maintain clinicalcredibility through clinical practice and visible leadership within maternityservices, supporting staff and fostering a positive safety culture that placeswomen, babies and families at the centre of care.

This isan excellent opportunity for an experienced midwife with a passion for patientsafety, governance and service improvement to influence strategic andoperational developments and make a significant contribution to improvingmaternity outcomes.

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience of managing and leading a team
• Current issues on healthcare
• Experience of leading, motivation and supporting a team
• Experience of providing training
• Excellent presentation skills
• Experience of delegating workload and monitoring progress
• Evidence of managerial development
• Clinical audit and standard setting
• Experience of managing resources
• Experience of training staff

Special Requirements

• Ability to travel between sites independently
• Full UK Driving licence and access to a car.

Qualifications

• Registered Midwife with current NMC registration.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Recognised management/leadership qualification masters degree or working towards

Statutory Registration

• Registered Midwife

Special Skills & Knowledge

• Knowledge of the standards of professional practice
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant National Services Frameworks
• Knowledge of Trust guidelines and policies
• Knowledge of care pathways for women with complex health needs
• Awareness of current issues in midwifery
• Capable of lateral thinking
• Influencing and negotiation
• Skills in identifying and securing provision of training needs for the team
• Highly developed communication skills, written and verbal
• Delegation abilities and excellent time management skills
• Well-developed problem solving and decision-making skills
• Flexibility/adaptability to meet the needs of the service
• Possess individual credibility
• Approachable
• Has strategic vision and demonstrates innovation in practice
• Ability to work under pressure, thinking and acting coherently and with respect for others
• Manage and identify stress in self and others
• Excellent written and verbal skills
• Ability to organise and prioritise own and other workloads
• Understanding of skills and knowledge required to lead and develop team members
• Resource managementAbility to take the lead in the promotion of evidence-based practice
• Excellent IT skills, including Word, Excel, Power-point, and Outlook

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

£49,387 to £56,515 a yearPer Annum Pro Rata

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