Join our professorial network at the RCM
By Professor Helen Cheyne and Dr Mary Ross-Davie, co-chairs of the new Professorial Network on 28 May 2021 Maternity Safety
We are delighted today to be announcing the new RCM professorial network (PN) and hope that professors of midwifery and related subjects working in the UK will chose to join.
The Professorial Advisory Group (PAG) was established in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The members, Professors Mary Renfrew, Soo Downe, Helen Cheyne, Helen Spiby, Tina Lavender, Fiona Dykes, Lesley Page, Billie Hunter and Jane Sandall had volunteered to support the work of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and our members during the pandemic by developing robust rapid reviews of the evidence in relation to provision of care.
The PAG made a significant contribution to the RCM’s professional response to the pandemic through developing a series of rapid analytical reviews. You can read them here: RCM Professional clinical guidance briefings - RCM
Working together during the pandemic has been really positive and rewarding and now PAG members and the RCM team wish to continue our collaborative work. We are renaming the PAG as the PN and opening up membership from the original small group of volunteers to draw on the rich pool of knowledge and experience of UK professors of midwifery and related subjects. This new network will provide a forum for leading UK experts in research, policy development and implementation, education and leadership of the profession to engage with the RCM.
The purpose of the PN is to provide an open channel of communication between its members and the RCM. This will enable the RCM and the PN to work together on the development of resources, publications and events. We feel that the network is mutually beneficial – for the RCM’s new professional team to gain expert support and advice and also for the professors to have a forum to collaborate with each other and support the RCM in its professional work.
If you are interested in joining the network, please complete the short application form. We need applications in by 13 June ahead of our next meeting on 29 June.
The network will be meeting quarterly – three times a year virtually and once a year in person.
We are going to jointly chair the network, with Helen from the Professors side and Mary from the RCM side. For us, personally, it is great to be able to continue our working relationship, which started in 2009 when Helen began supervising Mary’s PhD (pictured above).