March 2019
The NHS has appointed England’s first Chief Midwife to improve care for new and expectant mothers and their children and promote safer births as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent will be the first to take on the new role, to oversee delivery of a package of measures building on increased safety and support in maternity care. The Chief Midwifery Officer will become the most senior midwife in England, providing professional, strategic and clinical leadership to colleagues working across the country.