Consultant Midwife

Job overview

Band 8b | Job Share

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) is seeking an experienced and inspirational Consultant Midwife to provide expert leadership for physiological birth, public health and community‑based maternity care.

This is a senior clinical leadership role for an autonomous expert practitioner who is passionate about promoting normality of care, reducing health inequalities and improving outcomes for women and babies across community and continuity pathways.

Main duties of the job

Main duties of the role

Working closely with the Director of Midwifery and the Midwifery Leadership Team, the postholder will:

• Lead and champion physiological birth and normality of care
• Provide senior clinical leadership for public health, prevention and early intervention
• Strengthen community maternity pathways and continuity of carer models
• Lead improvements in care and outcomes for vulnerable groups and safeguarding
• Drive research, innovation and evaluation within community maternity services

The role combines a minimum of 50% expert clinical practice with professional leadership, consultancy, education and research through the four pillars of advanced practice.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Expert Clinical Practice.

To provide expert leadership for:

Physiological birth

Public health, prevention and early intervention

Care of vulnerable groups and safeguarding

Community pathways and continuity of carer

Research, innovation and evaluation in community maternity services

Physiological Birth:

• Act as the Trust’s senior midwifery expert in physiological birth.
• Lead development and evaluation of models that promote safe, evidence-based physiological birth across settings.
• Support staff and women to make informed choices, reducing unnecessary intervention where clinically appropriate.
• Influence practice, pathways and environments that enable physiological labour and birth.

Public Health & Prevention:

• Lead on public health priorities within maternity services, including smoking cessation, infant feeding, nutrition, perinatal mental health and early years prevention.
• Work in partnership with public health teams, primary care and community services to address the wider determinants of health.
• Champion prevention and early intervention approaches across the maternity pathway.

Vulnerable Groups & Safeguarding:

• Provide expert leadership for maternity care of vulnerable groups, including those experiencing social complexity, safeguarding concerns or health inequalities.
• Support high-quality, trauma-informed, inclusive care for women from underserved and marginalised communities.
• Advise and support staff in complex safeguarding situations, promoting professional judgement and compassionate practice.

Community Pathways & Continuity of Carer:

• Lead strategic development of community-based maternity pathways.
• Provide clinical and strategic leadership for continuity of carer models, supporting team development, sustainability and quality.
• Strengthen integration across community, primary care, voluntary sector and acute services.
• Ensure community services are safe, equitable and responsive to population need.

Research, Innovation & Evaluation:

• Lead and support research and innovation within community maternity services.
• Translate evidence into practice, ensuring community pathways reflect best available evidence.
• Encourage and support midwives to engage in audit, research and service evaluation.
• Contribute to regional and national learning related to public health, continuity and physiological birth.

Please see the attached job description and personal specification for more information.