Case study: Research is the answer to change say Worcestershire's Research Midwives

Worcestershire’s Research Midwives insist research is the answer if people want to see meaningful change in healthcare.

Catherine Townsend, Team Lead for the Central Research Team and Research Midwife at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, and her Research Midwives Jessie Brain and Krissy Timmins work across that county, covering Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Treatment Centre and Alexandra Hospital, Redditch.

Catherine has been involved in research since 2017 and Jessie since 2019, while Krissy is new to research this year and all are keen to promote International Day of the Midwife. Between them they are working on six clinical trials, and are convinced that research leads to better outcomes for patients. Jessie and Catherine are pictured.

“Research verifies that our current practices are evidence based as well as ensuring future practices are safe, cost-effective and patient-friendly,” they said.

“We love that research influences guidance and protocols to ensure every patient gets the gold standard of care. It is also important to us that patients at research-active hospitals are proven to have better outcomes than their counterparts that are not offered research.

Encouraging other Midwives to become research active, they said: “We need to see change in Midwifery right now.

“It’s challenging with increasing pressures to do more, and research often feels like an added task to do on the very long list Midwives have. However, to see meaningful change, research is the answer. The ultimate aim of all health research is to provide better care for patients and a more streamlined working experience for Midwives, and in our hearts this is what all
Midwives strive for.”