Acute Maternity Matron

Job overview

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Clinical Midwifery Matron to join our senior maternity leadership team. This pivotal Band 8a role offers an exciting opportunity to lead and shape high-quality, evidence-based care across our inpatient maternity services.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide visible, compassionate leadership to midwifery and obstetric teams within the maternity and neonatal services.
• Drive continuous quality improvement and ensure services meet national standards and local performance metrics.
• Collaborate with across multidisciplinary teams to coordinate seamless care.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and supportive working culture that promotes staff wellbeing and development.

What We’re Looking For:

• NMC registered Midwife with significant post-registration clinical experience in midwifery care.
• Demonstrable leadership experience in a senior midwifery or managerial role.
• Sound knowledge of national drivers impacting maternity and neonatal services
• Proven ability to lead and inspire teams, influence change, and deliver high standards of care.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and strategic thinking skills.

Main duties of the job

We are extremely proud of our Maternity service at Gateshead Health but we recognise the ongoing challenges to further develop and maintain our excellent patient feedback and quality and safety metrics. We are seeking a compassionate, dedicated and visible leader to continue our implementation of the national three year delivery plan, retain and improve our “Good” CQC ratings, continued compliance with the Maternity Incentive Scheme and implement our new Gateshead Health  Strategic priorities.

The Maternity service is part of the Division of Surgery, Women's Health and Children,  within the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The Matron will work closely with the Community Matron, Associate Director of Midwifery/SCBU, Service Line Manager, Lead midwife for Quality Risk and Safety, and Matron Colleagues within the wider Trust.  The successful applicant will implement the maternity agenda at an operational level, ensuring that the team and our women and their families are engaged, listened to and supported at every step.

The post holder will be supported by the senior maternity and wider matron teams in their own personal development into the matron role. This is an operational leadership role which includes the day to day oversight of the acute maternity service including ensuring safe staffing, line management of the ward managers, report writing, matron walkabouts, attendance at Trust and regional meetings and deputising for the Associate Director of Midwifery/SCBU.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Minimum requirements:

• Registered Midwife 1st level and current NMC Registration
• Evidence of Post Graduate study and continued professional development
• Demonstrate a high level of interpersonal and communication skills
• Significant senior midwifery experience
• Previous operational management experience
• Ability to cope with and diffuse difficult and stressful situations
• Excellent organisational skills
• Risk management knowledge
• IT skills
• Flexible approach to work
• Budget management skills
• Conflict management skills
• Clinical Governance knowledge

Desirable:

• Policy writing skills
• Leadership qualification
• Project/Service development experience