Maternity & Midwifery Forum

Agenda

(subject to change)

Maternity Services are going through demographic and societal changes with higher expectations of safety, increased women’s choice in mode of birth, supporting pregnant women who are older, with more complex issues of obesity and co morbidities. 

At the same time, government policy recognises the critical important of continuity through into infant and women’s health in the first year and beyond. 

The annual All Ireland Maternity & Midwifery Festival will address the progress and challenges, with speakers from across Ireland and the UK bringing up to date insights and professional information for all those working in maternity services and with mothers and infants 

08:30

Registration and Exhibition

10:00

Opening Plenary – Transforming Childbirth and Infant Health

10:00

Welcome

Caroline Gourley, President, The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation

10:05

Chair’s opening remarks

Anne McCormick, Chair of Section, The Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation

10:10

Midwifery Highlights in the Republic of Ireland 

Angela Dunne, National Midwifery Strategy, HSE

10:40

Panel discussion

11:00

Break, exhibition viewing and networking

11:30

Plenary 2: Public Perception of Midwives

11:30 – 12:05

Chair’s remarks

Anne McCormick, Chair of Section, The Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation 

Prof Jane Salvage, The Author of The Midwives’ Gospel: the forgotten women at the birth of Jesus

Corah Gernon, Podcaster – Irish Birth Stories, Midwife

12:05

Panel discussion/Q&A 

12:15

Plenary 3: Perspectives on practice 

12:15 – 13:00

Khayla Timothy, Midwife/PhD Student, Researcher, Sligo University Hospital (c

Maeve O’Connell, Lecturer in Midwifery, University College Cork

Dr Anna Byrom, Director, All4Maternity 

13:00

Panel discussion/Q&A

13:15

Lunch and Learn, Exhibition Viewing and Networking

13.15 – 13.30

Knitting Creative Workshop

Knitting Creative Workshop 

Knitting Creative Exhibition Stand 

Learn how to knit or crochet with Dr Amanda Hutcherson, Midwifery Lecturer and Founder of Knitting Creative 

 

All materials supplied 

13.45 – 14.00

Announcement of exhibition prize draw winners 

Exhibition Area 

Join us in the exhibition area to find out if you are one of our lucky winners!   

 

But you need to be in the room to win! 

14:15 – 15:00

Parallel Seminar Sessions

A1: Enabling Safe, Effective Staffing s

Sally Ashton-May MBE 

Executive Officer, Birthrate Plus (online) 

 

Tony Fitzpatrick, Director of Professional Services, The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation 

Q&A 

B1: Regulation Updates 

Verena Wallace MBE, Senior Midwifery Adviser (Policy), NMC  

 

Dr Karn Cliffe, Director of Professional Standards – Midwifery, NMBI  

 

Q&A 

C1: Employment Challenges 

 

Steve Pitman, Head of Education and Professional Development, INMO 

 

Jean Carroll, Section Development Officer, INMO  

 

Q&A 

15:00

Final exhibition viewing, refreshments and networking

15:20

Closing Plenary: Safer Staffing 

Chair’s remarks

Margaret Dunlea, Lecturer, Trinity College Dublin

Presentation – EU Directive on Midwife Education – Building Safer Staffing  

Daniela Drandić, Head of Advocacy and Communications, ICM

Panel discussion

Tony Fitzpatrick, Director of Professional Services, The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation  

16:00

Close