About this role
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated midwife to join our maternity leadership team as a Triage Lead Midwife.
In this key clinical leadership role, you will support the delivery of a safe, timely, and effective maternity triage service. You will provide visible leadership, helping to strengthen governance, embed BSOTS, improve patient flow, and maintain high standards of care.
Working with the multidisciplinary team, you will lead on audit and quality improvement, review triage activity, and use learning from incidents and feedback to drive service improvements and enhance outcomes for women, birthing people, and babies.
We are seeking a confident clinical leader who is passionate about maternity safety, staff development, and continuous improvement, and who is committed to creating a positive and well-led triage environment.
Main duties of the job
The Triage Lead Midwife will provide visible clinical leadership and expert support within maternity triage, promoting safe, timely and effective care for women, birthing people and babies.
The post holder will lead on the embedding and ongoing monitoring ofBSOTS, ensuring triage processes are consistent, evidence-based and responsive to clinical acuity. They will support staff to use structured assessment, prioritisation, documentation, safety-netting and escalation processes effectively.
The role will include oversight of triage audit, quality improvement and governance activity, including monitoring waiting times, acuity, escalation, incidents, complaints, patient feedback and compliance with local pathways. The post holder will identify themes, share learning and support improvement plans to strengthen patient safety and experience.
They will provide clinical support, teaching, supervision and role modelling for midwives and support staff working in triage, helping to build confidence, competence and consistency across the service.
The post holder will contribute to guideline development, staff training, governance reporting and service improvement, ensuring maternity triage remains safe, responsive, well-led and aligned with national and local maternity safety priorities.
About us
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job
Job description Job responsibilities
The Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job, please review for the full details and responsibilities
To take responsibility for the provision of sound clinical, educational and managerial leadership to a team of midwives and support staff concerned with hospital based midwifery care.
To work collaboratively cross site with the Luton Triage Lead Midwife to ensure consistency.
You will be responsible for providing Leadership and Management skills associated with educational Health and Safety and audit and reducing risks for staff and self- development.
To provide care, support innovation and provide up to date advice to women and their families throughout the in all care settings, in accordance with the Midwives Rules and Standard.
Provide Bleep Holder responsibility on a rotational basis with the Band 7 Leadership team.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Professional Registration Essential
Registered Midwife with current NMC registration. Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to maternity care, leadership or governance. Practice supervisor/assessor preparation or equivalent mentorship experience. BSOTS training or evidence of experience implementing structured maternity triage systems NLS or PROMPT/fetal monitoring training relevant to role
Desirable
Leadership, management, quality improvement or teaching qualification.
Experience Essential
Significant post-registration experience including maternity triage, Delivery Suite, DAU or acute maternity assessment. Experience coordinating or leading a clinical area and supporting staff in complex situations. Experience of escalation, safeguarding, multidisciplinary working and clinical risk assessment Experience of incident review, audit, complaints or quality improvement activity.
Desirable
Previous Band 7 or equivalent leadership experience. Experience of implementing service change and/or pathway redesign. Experience of roster, workforce or capacity management.
Knowledge Essential
Comprehensive knowledge of maternity practice, triage, clinical risk assessment and professional accountability. Knowledge of BSOTS principles or structured triage prioritisation systems. Knowledge of national and local maternity safety priorities, including escalation, fetal wellbeing, safeguarding and documentation. Ability to use audit, data and evidence to improve safety and quality of care.
Desirable
Knowledge of governance frameworks, risk management, QI methodology and maternity performance indicators. Awareness of CQC expectations and national maternity improvement priorities.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address Bedford Hospital
Kempston Road
Bedford
MK42 9DJ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)