Bethany Pengelly, Registered Midwife

Professional Experience

I qualified as a midwife in 2006 and have worked across hospital and community settings, providing care throughout the antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal periods. My clinical experience includes managing both low-risk and high-risk pregnancies. Between 2017 and 2023, I managed a midwife-led unit and community midwifery team, overseeing clinical standards and investigating incidents. I continued to work clinically during this period to maintain competence across all areas of midwifery. My experience in midwife-led care has equipped me to identify deviations from expected clinical pathways and initiate appropriate escalation or transfer, with a clear understanding of the consequences of missed opportunities.

Currently serving as Senior Clinical Matron for Maternity Outpatients, I hold operational oversight of community midwifery services, home birth teams, midwife-led birth units, the foetal and maternal assessment unit, triage, sonography, and consultant antenatal clinics. As a qualified NIPE practitioner, I routinely perform newborn examinations. Responsibilities include managing daily service delivery, investigating incidents, escalating safety concerns, and resolving clinical practice issues. Internal reviews are conducted regularly, and staff are supported through Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) processes. Alongside leadership duties, I maintain active clinical practice across antenatal clinics, triage, labour wards, and home birth settings. Participation in the acuity escalation rota includes on-call duties to address staffing pressures and ensure continuity of safe care.

Professional Development

I review and update clinical policies and guidelines in line with NICE recommendations and national standards, ensuring compliance with evidence-based practice. My dual clinical and managerial roles have enabled me to contribute to service improvement, workforce development, and governance processes. I maintain my professional development by attending relevant training.