#NewProfilePic for December

01 December 2021 - Every month, a different member of staff will be our #NewProfilePic on social media.

Tess joined King’s 11 years ago as a newly qualified midwife. Since then, she has worked on the maternity units at King’s College Hospital and the Princess Royal University Hospital.

Tess shares her career journey, and the path that led her to become Head of Midwifery: “I was a rotational midwife where I spent time in the inpatient wards, and in the community, attending homebirths and visiting new families at home following the birth of their baby. I then spent time as a midwife on the labour ward, and became a labour ward coordinator in 2014. I moved to the PRUH in 2017, where I was the labour ward matron. In 2019, I became a consultant midwife, focusing on birth choices, service improvement, and midwifery research. I am proud to lead the amazing maternity team at the Denmark Hill site as Head of Midwifery, and I am proud how every person goes the extra mile to provide high-quality, kind, and compassionate care.

“Being a midwife is wonderful. It is such an honour to watch families grow and to support and advocate for women and birthing people during pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

“I am passionate about the staff, women, and birthing people at King’s, striving to make our hospital the best place to have a baby and the best place to work. I am fortunate to work with an amazing team of midwives, support workers, doctors and administrators’’.

December is a special month for many, Tess explains why it’s special at King’s: “Christmas is a special time here in maternity, there is a positive feel and festive cheer on the wards, and midwives always remember the babies and families they care for on Christmas day. Pre-Covid, a group of midwives would sing carols on the wards, and we are always inundated with gifts and goodies to get us through our shifts!

“This year has been demanding and challenging with constant changes for both our staff and the families we care for. And whilst it is lovely to work over the festive period, we must also remember the personal sacrifices NHS staff make to make sure our patients are safe over Christmas.’’

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