Job summary
Under the direction of the Lead Midwife for Patient Safety, the post holder will provide practical support and expertise across a wide range of patient safety, quality improvement, and learning activities within Maternity and Women's Health.
The role supports the delivery of the Quality Governance agenda in line with the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), including incident investigations (PSIIs), risk management, clinical audit, and effectiveness. The post holder will work closely with Quality Governance teams, the Education Team, and the wider service line to support effective learning from incidents, identify trends, and embed improvements into practice.
Responsibilities include supporting governance and education meetings, maintaining systems for identifying and managing risk, and helping deliver national requirements such as Saving Babies' Lives and the Maternity Incentive Scheme (MIS). The role also involves facilitating complaint and incident investigations and supporting staff through the process.
This is a pivotal role in promoting a culture of safety, learning, and continuous improvement. The post holder will maintain relevant clinical skills and work under the guidance and line management of the Lead Midwife for Patient Safety.
Main duties of the job
Oversee incident management, ensuring all maternity-related incidents are investigated per the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), applying human factors and SEIPS methodologies.
Support staff affected by incidents ('second victims') through debriefs and access to support services, fostering a just and learning-focused culture.
Maintain and monitor risk registers, identify high-risk trends, and produce regular reports for governance meetings.
Support compliance with national standards including CQC, Maternity Incentive Scheme (MIS), and Saving Babies' Lives, ensuring action plans from investigations, audits, and complaints are implemented and monitored.
Assist in planning governance meetings and preparing reports for internal and external review panels.
Provide training and guidance on quality governance, risk management, and incident reporting to staff, incorporating learning from incidents into practice.
Act as a local expert for digital governance tools (e.g., InPhase), ensuring accurate reporting and escalation of issues.
Promote a transparent, open culture encouraging incident reporting, reflection, and multidisciplinary learning.
Keep up to date with best practices and legislation in patient safety and quality governance to ensure Trust compliance.
The post holder plays a vital role in enhancing patient safety, driving continuous learning, and embedding quality governance within maternity and women's services.
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 post holder will report to the Lead Midwife for Patient Safety and work closely with the Head of Governance and Quality Improvement, Heads of Midwifery, Operational Managers, and the Director of Midwifery to escalate any issues affecting patient safety or service delivery within the Service Line.
Patient Safety & Incident Management
Ensure all incidents involving Maternity and Womens Services are reviewed and actioned in line with the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF).
Support the investigation of Patient Safety Incident Investigations (PSIIs), ensuring appropriate actions, learning, and dissemination of lessons across teams.
Apply Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) and human factors methodology in reviews, and advise on the most appropriate investigation approach.
Provide direct support to staff impacted by incidents (second victims), offering debriefs and signposting to services such as PMAs or HR, and foster a culture of psychological safety and learning.
Risk Management & Governance
Support the maintenance of Service Line risk registers in collaboration with senior maternity and patient safety teams.
Identify high-scoring risks and incident trends, producing regular incident reports to inform local and Trust-wide learning.
Monitor and report on key performance indicators related to risk and safety.
Assist managers in developing and monitoring action plans, ensuring evidence aligns with Trust policies and is up to date.
Promote a proactive, transparent, and learning-focused culture of risk awareness and patient safety throughout the service.
Quality Improvement & Compliance
Support activities to improve compliance with CQC standards, the Maternity Incentive Scheme (MIS), Saving Babies Lives, and other national frameworks.
Ensure implementation and monitoring of action plans following PSIIs, audits, complaints, and regulatory reviews.
Contribute to preparation for internal and external reviews by supporting evidence gathering, documentation, and action tracking.
Meetings & Reporting
Assist in the planning and coordination of governance meetings within the Service Line, ensuring all relevant items are addressed.
Contribute to the preparation of Service Line reports for quality governance panels, performance reviews, and the Patient Safety Committee.
Liaise with the Trusts complaints team to ensure effective complaint handling, learning, and implementation of improvements following investigations.
Education & Training
Provide training, support, and specialist advice on quality governance, risk management, and patient safety to Service Line staff.
Develop and deliver induction, mandatory updates, and bespoke training on key topics such as Duty of Candour, incident reporting, and governance processes.
Work with the Lead for Education and other leads to implement learning from incidents into training and practice.
Leadership & Digital Governance Tools
Act as a local expert in the use of InPhase (or equivalent system), ensuring accurate and timely reporting.
Ensure reports and dashboards are maintained in line with Trust templates and escalate any non-compliance appropriately.
Policy & Strategy Implementation
Support the implementation of Trust strategies and policies relating to governance, patient safety, audit, and improvement.
Ensure alignment of Service Line quality governance programmes with national priorities such as the CQC, NHS Englands Patient Safety Strategy, and MIS requirements.
Continuous Improvement
Assist in identifying trends from incidents, audits, complaints, and patient feedback, translating findings into meaningful improvements.
Work collaboratively with governance, education, and operational teams to ensure that quality governance structures, reports, and action plans are embedded in daily practice.
Promote multi-disciplinary learning and reflective practice through structured debriefs, After Action Reviews (AARs), and roundtable discussions.
Professional Development & Best Practice
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of developments in quality governance, risk management, and patient safety.
Implement national best practice in line with Trust policy, legislative changes, and professional standards.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will report to the Lead Midwife for Patient Safety and work closely with the Head of Governance and Quality Improvement, Heads of Midwifery, Operational Managers, and the Director of Midwifery to escalate any issues affecting patient safety or service delivery within the Service Line.
Patient Safety & Incident Management
Ensure all incidents involving Maternity and Womens Services are reviewed and actioned in line with the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF).
Support the investigation of Patient Safety Incident Investigations (PSIIs), ensuring appropriate actions, learning, and dissemination of lessons across teams.
Apply Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) and human factors methodology in reviews, and advise on the most appropriate investigation approach.
Provide direct support to staff impacted by incidents (second victims), offering debriefs and signposting to services such as PMAs or HR, and foster a culture of psychological safety and learning.
Risk Management & Governance
Support the maintenance of Service Line risk registers in collaboration with senior maternity and patient safety teams.
Identify high-scoring risks and incident trends, producing regular incident reports to inform local and Trust-wide learning.
Monitor and report on key performance indicators related to risk and safety.
Assist managers in developing and monitoring action plans, ensuring evidence aligns with Trust policies and is up to date.
Promote a proactive, transparent, and learning-focused culture of risk awareness and patient safety throughout the service.
Quality Improvement & Compliance
Support activities to improve compliance with CQC standards, the Maternity Incentive Scheme (MIS), Saving Babies Lives, and other national frameworks.
Ensure implementation and monitoring of action plans following PSIIs, audits, complaints, and regulatory reviews.
Contribute to preparation for internal and external reviews by supporting evidence gathering, documentation, and action tracking.
Meetings & Reporting
Assist in the planning and coordination of governance meetings within the Service Line, ensuring all relevant items are addressed.
Contribute to the preparation of Service Line reports for quality governance panels, performance reviews, and the Patient Safety Committee.
Liaise with the Trusts complaints team to ensure effective complaint handling, learning, and implementation of improvements following investigations.
Education & Training
Provide training, support, and specialist advice on quality governance, risk management, and patient safety to Service Line staff.
Develop and deliver induction, mandatory updates, and bespoke training on key topics such as Duty of Candour, incident reporting, and governance processes.
Work with the Lead for Education and other leads to implement learning from incidents into training and practice.
Leadership & Digital Governance Tools
Act as a local expert in the use of InPhase (or equivalent system), ensuring accurate and timely reporting.
Ensure reports and dashboards are maintained in line with Trust templates and escalate any non-compliance appropriately.
Policy & Strategy Implementation
Support the implementation of Trust strategies and policies relating to governance, patient safety, audit, and improvement.
Ensure alignment of Service Line quality governance programmes with national priorities such as the CQC, NHS Englands Patient Safety Strategy, and MIS requirements.
Continuous Improvement
Assist in identifying trends from incidents, audits, complaints, and patient feedback, translating findings into meaningful improvements.
Work collaboratively with governance, education, and operational teams to ensure that quality governance structures, reports, and action plans are embedded in daily practice.
Promote multi-disciplinary learning and reflective practice through structured debriefs, After Action Reviews (AARs), and roundtable discussions.
Professional Development & Best Practice
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of developments in quality governance, risk management, and patient safety.
Implement national best practice in line with Trust policy, legislative changes, and professional standards.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oRegistered Midwife
- oMentorship Mentor preparation or equivalent
- oEvidence of continuing professional development
Desirable
- oSystem Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety Training (SEIPS) Training
- oMasters Level study or working towards a Masters
- oTeaching Qualification
- oRoot cause analysis and report writing training/experience
Experience
Essential
- oExperience in incident investigation
- oExperience in InPhase system or comparable risk system
- oExperience in clinical audit
- oExperience in a range of audit/research tools
- oExperience of disseminating learning
Desirable
- oExperience in staff management
Knowledge
Essential
- oConsolidated experience at band 6/7
- oExperience in patient safety analysis
- oKnowledgeable in teaching and research methodology
- oKnowledge of current NHS priorities and PSIRF methodology.
Skills
Essential
- oEffective communication skills both verbal and written.
- oTime management and organisational skills
- oAble to prioritise own and others workload effectively delegating
- oComputer Literacy
- oAdvanced keyboard skills- data inputting, word processing, power point, internet/literature searching and email
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oRegistered Midwife
- oMentorship Mentor preparation or equivalent
- oEvidence of continuing professional development
Desirable
- oSystem Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety Training (SEIPS) Training
- oMasters Level study or working towards a Masters
- oTeaching Qualification
- oRoot cause analysis and report writing training/experience
Experience
Essential
- oExperience in incident investigation
- oExperience in InPhase system or comparable risk system
- oExperience in clinical audit
- oExperience in a range of audit/research tools
- oExperience of disseminating learning
Desirable
- oExperience in staff management
Knowledge
Essential
- oConsolidated experience at band 6/7
- oExperience in patient safety analysis
- oKnowledgeable in teaching and research methodology
- oKnowledge of current NHS priorities and PSIRF methodology.
Skills
Essential
- oEffective communication skills both verbal and written.
- oTime management and organisational skills
- oAble to prioritise own and others workload effectively delegating
- oComputer Literacy
- oAdvanced keyboard skills- data inputting, word processing, power point, internet/literature searching and email
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
