Celebrating 50 Years of NHS Service
03 July 2026 - A Senior Midwife at Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) who works within the local community is retiring this week, after five decades of service to the NHS.
Ann Gibbs, from Manchester, began her nursing training in September 1975 at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow. She was part of an experimental fast-track programme, completing her nursing qualification in two years before gaining further experience across research, medical and psychiatric services.
Ann said: “The initial attraction of being a midwife, after qualifying as a nurse, was the fact that you could work abroad. It seemed a great profession to join knowing that I could pick it back up whenever I wanted in my life. I got a job in the Bahamas, but I didn’t go because I met my husband. But a lot of people went to the West Indies and around the world.”
Driven by a passion for women’s health, Ann went on to train as a midwife at Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester. She qualified in 1979 and delivered over 40 babies in one year – a figure rarely seen today.
She added: “The families we work with are very different now. When I began working as a midwife, many women were having children in their teens and early twenties, and now we see more people who are in their thirties and forties. The local population has evolved and changed, and it’s more common to see high risk women, who would have previously been advised not to become pregnant over 30 years ago, as a pregnancy may have resulted in risks to their health. Nowadays women who may be advised to deliver in hospital, may choose to deliver at home. This sets us more challenges, but we are there to help and support them. If we deliver good antenatal care, then we are limiting the complexities of what can happen when in labour.”
Ann’s career took her to King’s College Hospital, where she progressed from Staff Midwife to Sister on the Labour Ward, taking on responsibility for training midwives in theatre practice.
She said: “I loved it, I oversaw theatres in a midwifery role. You got to know the doctors so well in that environment. We had an amazing social life; there were amazing people that you met and worked with.”
Ann later moved out of London and into Kent, where she joined Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup in 1983. It was where she transitioned into community midwifery and has spent the rest of her career. Her responsibilities include running antenatal clinics, postnatal clinics, and completing home visits, alongside her management duties within the team and coordinator role for the whole of community. Ann is also part of the maternity vaccination team.
Ann said: “I love the continuity of what I’ve been doing. On more than one occasion I’ve seen multiple generations of a family. When I started as a Community Midwife, I supported a woman with her five children and went on to see her children have their own children. The family recently invited me over and we all spent some time together.”
Alongside raising her three children, Ann completed both her midwifery diploma in 1987 and later went on to study for a degree. She played a pivotal leadership role during major NHS reconfigurations, including serving as Interim Community Midwife Manager and helping to redesign community services across Greenwich, Bromley and Bexley.
Clare Baker, Head of Midwifery at PRUH, said: “Ann has consistently been at the forefront of innovation – from being one of the first midwives to complete the Newborn and Infant Physical Examination course (NIPE), to introducing mobile phones, and helping establish postnatal clinics.
“She has been a font of knowledge for her colleagues, always supportive and keen to impart her experience-based advice. Ann’s heart has been in her community care, and it has been a pleasure and privilege to reflect on her achievements and dedication to PRUH and South Sites.”
So, what’s next for Ann?
“It’s a massive change, I’ll miss it – I know I will. I have an amazing team. All of us, we value each other. It’s like a family. I will now have more time to spend with our one-year-old puppy, who is full of energy, and I have five grandchildren who I look after occasionally. But that’s not what it’s about. It’s time for me.”
Tracey Carter, Chief Nurse and Executive Director of Midwifery at King’s, said: “Ann’s career reflects five decades of dedication, leadership, and commitment to improving care for women and families. Her contribution to community midwifery and the NHS is truly inspiring.”
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