Keelie Grindley
Keelie qualified as a midwife several years ago and describes her current role as EDI Lead Midwife as her dream job.
Throughout her training and into qualification, Keelie developed a strong interest in addressing health inequalities within maternity services. After representing her Trust at the Black Maternal Health Conference in 2024, she designed and delivered a training package focused on equity in maternity care for ethnic minority women. This programme is now delivered to midwives and obstetric teams alongside her ongoing clinical practice.
In 2024, Keelie took on a specialist role dedicated to improving equity in maternity care and outcomes for marginalised communities, including Black and Brown communities, asylum seekers, Deaf and Blind communities, Gypsy Roma groups and LGBTQ+ families.
A significant focus of her work is improving outcomes for global majority women and birthing people. National data over the past five years has highlighted a significantly higher risk of morbidity and mortality in maternity care compared with white women. Keelie works regionally to help close these gaps through the development of equitable, accessible services and targeted education for the maternity workforce.
Keelie also leads inclusive walk-around initiatives within maternity units, working directly with service users, including profoundly Deaf women, to better understand their experiences of safety, inclusion and representation. She strongly values patient-led insight as a driver for meaningful change, believing that small, consistent actions can lead to significant improvements over time.
Her role allows her to work both on-site at UHNM and within the community. A key achievement has been the development of bespoke antenatal education for the asylum-seeking community in Stoke-on-Trent, creating safe and supportive spaces for vulnerable families — work she is particularly proud of.
In recognition of her advocacy and impact, Keelie was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the Black Maternal Health Awards UK, which celebrate excellence in maternal healthcare, including care quality and access, maternal mental health, education, policy change, empowerment and community support.
