Yorkshire midwife Anne-Marie given national award for her 40 years of dedication to mums and babies

Dr Anne-Marie Henshaw is director of midwifery at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, and has worked within the health sector for almost 40 years.

She has now received the Chief Midwifery Officer’s Gold Award as staff at the Trust hailed her leadership as “strong, courageous, and effective.”

The award recognises outstanding achievements and performance demonstrated by a midwife in their sphere of practice.

Dr Henshaw began her nurse training in 1985, and has since worked as a midwife, teacher, researcher and leader. She retires this month.

Reflecting on her award, Dr Henshaw said: “I’m absolutely delighted and feel very proud to be recognised in this way by the Chief Midwifery Officer for England.

“I’ve so many highlights over the last 40 years from working as a community midwife, a labour ward midwife and teacher.

"Nearly five years ago I returned to Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust to lead the maternity transformation programme, a full circle coming back to the Trust I trained to be a midwife at.

"The enthusiasm and determination of the team to work with our local maternity voices partnership to make improvements has been inspiring, and I leave with pride in all that’s been achieved whilst recognising there is still much to do.”

Dr Henshaw, herself a mother of two daughters, spoke of her pride in helping hundreds of midwives throughout her career.

She said: “I’ve had the privilege of meeting and working with so many amazing and wise people.

"What am I most proud of personally are my children and family, and professionally seeing the people I’ve formally and informally mentored and coached over the years growing and developing, and going on to make demonstrable improvements in maternity services and achieving their ambitions.

Kate Brintworth, Chief Midwifery Officer for England, who presented the award, said: “Anne-Marie's dedication and influence in midwifery have been transformative, and this award is a fitting recognition of her remarkable achievements.”