Claire Darling

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Midwifery, MSc Midwifery

Specialisms

Hospital midwife, intrapartum care, labour ward co-ordinator, complex birth, maternity triage

Introduction

I currently hold the position of Associate Director of Midwifery Services with operational oversight of all areas of intrapartum care, maternity theatres, governance, education, and assurance.  I am a highly experienced clinician with over 17 years’ experience as a senior leader, Consultant midwife, intrapartum quality and safety lead and labour ward co-ordinator covering all areas of intrapartum care including women with complex medical, obstetric and social needs and foetal heart monitoring. I am passionate about providing the highest level of safe and quality intrapartum care and I remain a hands on clinician undertaking regular clinical shifts in labour ward and maternity triage. 

This experience has included working within one of the UK’s largest tertiary units. My practice extends to Intensive Care and Cardiac Critical Care Unit (CCCU) outreach as a Level 2/3 trained midwife via a specialist outreach team before and during the Covid 19 pandemic. I consider myself to be an expert clinician that is visible and who leads by example and has the confidence to expand midwifery practice boundaries, inspire and support all clinicians in the care of women experiencing both normal and complex birth. My interest in complex pregnancy began during my midwifery training as part of the specialist midwifery team who instigated and piloted the pioneering care model for incarcerated pregnant women residing at HMP Styal. A model that was later rolled out into HMP Holloway. This provided me with a foundation in service change focused on providing the best quality and safest care for medically/socially vulnerable women and their families.

Prior to my career in midwifery, I gained a business degree specialising in change management and worked at a senior management level within the defence sector. My career to date has facilitated high level leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to sensitively manage relationships, an astute ability to negotiate, support, coordinate and lead full MDT in acute, fluid and at times extremely pressurised situations. I have extensive experience of utilising strong transformational leadership skills, extensive maternity operations experience and change management/project management tools to translate midwifery workforce strategy into effective organisational policies, objectives, and clearly defined tasks. As a strategic thinker I also have robust experience in the development of productive and effective improving quality and safety projects incorporating evidence-based research and the findings of confidential enquiries and national reports to develop/change service provision. I am a lead contributor to national compliancy targets /standards including Ockenden 1 and 2, MIAA, MIS, CQC regional and national guidelines  I am also a member of the Acute Illness Management (AIMS) Board. Fundamentally, I am passionate about patient-led quality maternity care grounded in evidence-based practice led by confident, compassionate midwives and which pursues the development of safe quality maternity services developed in conjunction with local families.

I accept instructions from both claimant and defendant solicitors and insurers. I have undergone formal training in the medico-legal process and am fully aware of my responsibilities under Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) pertaining to expert witnesses.