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South Eastern Trust branch

on 05 April 2022 RCM Branches

RCM South Eastern Trust branch is soon awarding The Hazel McCalister Exceptional Midwife Award for the first time. This award was presented to the RCM SE Trust branch by Hazel's family in memory of a midwife who tirelessly supported her colleagues.

Julie Gough, midwife and steward at RCM SE Trust branch (now retired), said ‘Hazel demonstrated her commitment to staff well being and to professional collaboration with all the members of the healthcare team, regardless of their role. Hazel also devoted an endless amount of her own time and her energy to the work of the Royal College of Midwives, about which she was passionate throughout her long career in midwifery and indeed continued to support the branch even after her retirement becoming Honorary Chairperson. It is fitting that Hazel’s family is presenting this award to the first ever recipient on the International Day of the Midwife on 5 May 2022.’

In making this award, the branch was seeking to honour an unsung midwife who was nominated by her peers in SE Trust for going that extra mile to help her colleagues. Linda Dugan, Health & Safety rep of RCM SE Trust branch continued: ‘The branch wanted to celebrate a midwife who is a positive role model and can be working at any level, a midwife who colleagues think ‘oh good, I'm working with him/her, today will be a great day’.

 As such, the award panel was looking for the following in the nominations:

  • a caring and compassionate approach to colleagues
  • a midwife who makes a difference by their words or actions
  • a midwife who contributes over & above to nurture, inspire and assist colleagues
  • a midwife who has the respect and admiration of colleagues
  • a midwife who is an effective colleague/ part of a team.’


Kerry Harkin, Senior Organiser with RCM NI team said ‘These attributes make for a positive working environment where midwives, MSWs and student midwives all feel supported and nurtured. After all, we must support our maternity staff so that they, in turn, can support our women and babies. This is a great example of RCM South Eastern Trust branch promoting the very ethos which is at the heart of RCM’s Caring for You campaign, which is being refreshed this year’.

The winner will then be further celebrated at an afternoon tea at the City Hall in Belfast with 25 other midwives and MSWs from across the five health Trusts in Northern Ireland, as part of the wider RCM Northern Ireland celebrations of #IDM2022. This will culminate in the lighting up of the City Hall in the new colours of the RCM.  

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