Joanne Gorman

Qualifications 

BSc (Hons) Midwifery, BA (Hons) Sociology & Social Policy

Specialisms 

• Hospital Midwifery
• High Risk Antenatal/Postnatal care
• CTG Monitoring
• Theatre
• ENS Cases

Introduction 

Since qualifying as a Midwife in 2008, my career has been hospital based where I have provided care to high risk women with complex pregnancies. Currently I work between labour ward, the ante and postnatal wards.

I provide care in labour, which involves the interpretation of CTG monitoring and making appropriate referral and escalation. I am experienced in caring for women with epidural analgesia and work as part of a multi disciplinary team including obstetricians, paediatricians and anaesthetists.

I have extensive experience of Obstetric theatre. I scrub for trials of instrumental deliveries, elective and emergency Caesarean sections. This involves ensuring the sterility of the instruments and aseptic procedures and also ensuring that the count of instruments, swabs and sharps are correct during and following the procedure. I have experience of perineal suturing, venous cannulation and venepuncture.

In addition, I allocate work on the ante and postnatal ward, take charge of the ward and am responsible for the support, supervision and mentoring of junior staff and student midwives.

I also have an interest in public health, which includes smoking cessation in pregnancy, advising postnatal women on contraceptive choices to ensure appropriate pregnancy spacing and in infant feeding to ensure that breastfeeding is supported when a woman chooses this.

I have recently commenced a 12-month secondment role as a Safety Lead Midwife. My role is to support the enablement of key safety improvement initiatives across maternity and neonatal services. This involves conducting audits of patient care records, delivering evidence based training to midwives and other members of the multi-disciplinary team and playing a large role in the implementation of recommendations from national initiatives such as the Saving Babies Lives care bundle and the recommendations made in the Ockenden report.

I have undertaken medico-legal training on the NHSR Early Notification Scheme and I am in a position to assist with casework of this nature.

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.