Catherine Cooper, Registered Midwife

Professional Experience

I qualified as a midwife in 2006 and have built extensive clinical experience across both hospital and community settings. My career has encompassed the full spectrum of maternity care—antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal—high and low risk, with a particular interest in supporting physiological birth, including homebirth and waterbirth. In 2013, I established and managed a Birth Centre, leading a team dedicated to facilitating physiological birth. I later served as Consultant Midwife and Head of Clinical Services for a private provider, overseeing the delivery of commissioned care through a case-loading model.

This role involved direct care provision and strategic oversight, and provided insight into NHS organisational structures and clinical variation. I have contributed to clinical governance through audit, guideline development, and risk management. I have also developed and delivered staff training programmes focused on respectful maternity care, informed by international standards. My previous roles as a practice development midwife and supervisor of midwives have further strengthened my understanding of professional regulation and quality assurance.

I currently work on average 8 clinical shifts per month as a bank midwife, primarily on antenatal ward, delivery suite and midwifery-led unit, maintaining up-to-date knowledge and skills in CTG interpretation, high and low risk birth, scan review, vaginal examination, and care planning for high-risk pregnancies. I also provide a freelance birth trauma resolution service, supporting individuals in understanding and processing adverse maternity experiences.

Professional Development

In parallel with clinical practice, I have held senior roles in education and governance. While completing my MSc, I led the education team at a large NHS Trust, overseeing recruitment, retention, and training in line with Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) standards. I am a trained PROMPT (Practical Obstetric Multi-Professional Training) facilitator and hold advanced neonatal life support (NALS) certification. I have served as a panel member for the NMC Fitness to Practise Committee, where I assessed documentary and oral evidence to determine findings of fact and evaluate public protection concerns.
I maintain my professional development by attending relevant training.