Claire Darling, Registered Midwife

Professional Experience

I am the Associate Director of Midwifery Services with operational oversight of intrapartum care, triage, maternity theatres, governance, education, and assurance within a Level 3 tertiary maternity unit. With over 15 years of clinical experience, I have held senior roles including Consultant Midwife, Labour Ward Coordinator, and Intrapartum Quality and Safety Lead. My expertise spans both midwifery-led and obstetric-led care, including the management of complex medical, obstetric, and social cases, antenatal and intrapartum care, fetal monitoring, triage pathways, and clinical governance. I maintain active clinical practice across labour ward, triage, and antenatal settings, ensuring my leadership remains grounded in current, hands-on experience.

I have worked within one of the UK’s largest tertiary units and have provided outreach care to Intensive Care and Cardiac Critical Care Units as a Level 2/3 trained midwife, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am a recognised expert in maternity triage, including the Birmingham Symptom Specific Triage System (BSOTS), and contribute to national standards including Ockenden 1 and 2, Maternity Incentive Scheme (MIS), and CQC compliance.

Professional Development

I am a national contributor to intrapartum and fetal monitoring guidelines, including those published by NICE. Currently, I am one of four clinicians authoring the national guideline on the latent phase of labour. I hold advanced accreditation in fetal monitoring through Baby Lifeline and am proficient in Dawes Redman analysis, Intelligent Intermittent Auscultation (IIA), and continuous cardiotocography (CTG) interpretation. My training includes fetal physiology, classification, and peer review compliance. I am a Professional Midwifery Advocate (PMA) and previously served as a Supervisor of Midwives (SoM), with a strong understanding of professional conduct and regulatory frameworks. I am also a member of the Acute Illness Management (AIMS) Board and regularly contribute to regional and national policy development.