Maternity Services in Oxfordshire

Join our Maternity team! We offer a rewarding environment where we nurture staff to achieve their full career potential.

Each year in Oxfordshire over 600 maternity staff care for around 7500 babies and their families.

The John Radcliffe Hospital Women's Centre is a tertiary hospital with a Delivery Suite, three maternity theatres and a recovery ward.

We also offer four stand-alone midwifery-led units and home births:

Places to give birth - Maternity

We work closely with specialist services such as:

We work closely alongside the tertiary referral Oxford Newborn Care Unit and have introduced a Transitional Care Unit as part of our Postnatal Ward for newborns requiring some additional support with their parents.

Supporting our staff

We are dedicated to promoting and supporting wellbeing for all our staff members. We have a substantial support network for staff, focusing on wellbeing and development.

This includes:

Professional Midwifery Advocates (PMA)
Wellbeing Champions
Staff Networks
Maternity Saff Psychologist.

Our PMA and Wellbeing Lead Midwife works closely with our Professional Midwifery Advocate (PMA) Team offering restorative clinical supervision sessions, support following incidents and referrals to other teams if needed.

Our staff can self-refer to our Maternity Saff Psychologist, who works with our PMA team. We also have a team of staff members who have undertaken Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) training to provide staff support when incidents occur.

"I was offered a restorative clinical supervision session with my PMA following an incident... I found it very helpful to have dedicated time and space to help talk about and process the events... I am very grateful for this support."

We are very proud of the steps that are being taken to increase staff wellbeing and are constantly working on projects to increase and enhance what we do support each other.

Upon taking up your role with Oxford University Hospitals, we will give you a named PMA and information on how to contact them and other members of the team.

Roles available

Midwife
Obstetric nurse
Maternity support worker (MSU)

Work life balance

We understand the importance of having a work life balance, and actively try to support this. We can offer flexible working contracts for our staff from the start of their employment, and try to be as accommodating as we can, while maintaining our services and fairness towards all our staff.

When creating our rotas, we take day-off requests every rota period, and ensure staff have at least one weekend off a month.

We have developed a Charter to ensure we provide a welcoming and positive environment for staff. Great teams don't come from structures and organograms - they are created by people, working together every day, with behaviours that role model our core values, finding ways to learn and improve together.

Career development

We are passionate about supporting our staff to develop their personal and professional portfolios.

Each year all staff are allocated a protected study week comprising:

obstetric emergency simulation training (PROMPT) for all staff within the multidisciplinary team
a fetal wellbeing study day for midwives
bespoke update days for midwives and maternity support workers.

There is allocated time within this week to complete e-Learning and meet with the Practice Education Team if required.

Practice Education Team

The Maternity Practice Education Team comprises midwives and MSW who provide ongoing education and training to our staff. They have close links with the Practice Development Nurses to ensure obstetric nurses are also given the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge.

Some of our obstetric nurses undertake the OUH-funded midwifery course through Oxford Brookes University.

Opportunities to attend higher education courses include:

Professional Midwifery Advocate course
Leadership courses
Biomechanics of labour.

Employees can apply for additional paid study leave on top of their annual mandatory training.

We actively strive to support the Ockenden Report (2022) recommendation of 'those that work together must train together' and have held multidisciplinary team training for many years now.

We have met all standards of the Maternity Incentive Scheme 2018-2023, an achievement only a small number of trusts have achieved.

We are very proud of the training and development we offer, and continue to work to improve opportunities for our staff.

"I was offered the opportunity to go on the High Dependency Course through the University of West London alongside three of my midwifery colleagues... It has massively improved my confidence and competency when caring for high risk women."

Emily, Band 6 Midwife

Specialty roles

Safeguarding Midwife
Trauma Midwife
PMA and Wellbeing Lead Midwife
Premature Specialist Midwife
Midwife Sonographers
Practice Development Lead and Team
Breech Midwife Lead
Lead for Internationally Educated Midwives
Perinatal Risk Co-ordinator midwife
Safety Midwife
Fetal and Maternal Medicine
Lead Midwife Recruitment and Retention
Fetal Wellbeing Lead Midwife
Student Link Midwife
Consultant Midwives
Mental Health Lead and Team
Midwifery Public Health Team
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead Midwife

Maternity support worker (MSW)

Maternity support workers (MSW) are a vital part of our maternity multidisciplinary team, working alongside midwives and nurses to provide essential care. The role is very varied and rewarding.

After completing our support worker induction programme, new starters have a four to six week orientation programme (dependent upon hours worked) to familiarise themselves with the clinical area they are working in.

Community MSW need a valid driving license to visit new parents out in the community setting. Within the hospital, they work in many areas to support the multidisciplinary team to care for people during pregnancy or after giving birth, as well as cleaning, stocking up and basic administration.

Our maternity support workers start at Band 2 and move up to Band 3 on completion of the Care Certificate and local competencies in their work area.

Specialist support worker roles include infant feeding, bereavement and practice development support workers.

We offer study days and courses, including communication courses, BTECs and Level 3 Apprenticeships.

In January 2024, two of our support workers began midwifery training via the Apprenticeship route at the University of Winchester. Only a few universities in the UK offer this course.

"I really enjoy being an MSW and being able to give time and support to the families of the people we care for. It's really worthwhile when you know just the smallest of gestures has helped a family massively."

Sophie, Community Maternity Support Worker

Obstetric nurse

Our small team of obstetric nurses cares for women and birthing people in the postnatal period. They work in the inpatient setting, on the high dependency unit and postnatal ward.

Our nurses have a bespoke study day to learn the skills needed within the maternity setting. They are allocated a PMA and Practice Educator to support their ongoing learning, and a buddy within their working area.

"I have enjoyed working with the exceptional wisdom... and experienced colleagues, especially my managers in the observation area - always supportive and ready to help."

Precious, Obstetric Nurse