International Day of the Midwife 2026: One Million More Midwives

On International Day of the Midwife, we proudly recognise and celebrate the incredible midwives across the NHS, whose dedication, skill and compassion make a lasting difference every day. Midwives play a vital role in supporting women, babies and families at some of the most important and vulnerable moments in their lives. Their professionalism, advocacy and commitment to safe, personalised care reflect the very best of our values, and today we want to say thank you for the impact you make – often quietly, always profoundly.

We are especially pleased to highlight two of our midwives, Jo Birtwhistle and Claudette Collins Achu, whose passion for midwifery shines through in their work at NHS Supply Chain.

Joanne Birtwhistle, our Clinical Specialist Midwife

Joanne Birtwhistle, our Clinical Specialist Midwife said: “International Day of the Midwife has always been a moment for me to pause and reflect on a profession that has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. At just nine years old, I knew I wanted to “deliver babies” – even before I knew there was a name for it. Once I did, I could finally say, I want to be a midwife.

More than 30 years on, that sense of calling has never left me. Midwifery continues to inspire the same passion and dedication it always has. It has been an immense privilege to support women and their families through birth and the transition into parenthood.

Midwifery has enabled me to see times when an individual is so vulnerable and yet so powerful in the same moment. It enabled me to witness the miracle of a small human entering a room, when no one walked through the door. Being a midwife is a calling and even though I’ve been tested, challenged in this profession, I know it’s made me the person I am today.

This is why the ‘One Million More Midwives’ theme is so important, it highlights the issues which affect the care delivered and the shortfalls midwives experience due to staffing shortages, so on International Day of the Midwife, to my midwife family both past and present – thank you for being there and making that difference.”

Claudette Collins Achu, our Clinical Fellow and Midwife

Claudette Collins Achu, our Clinical Fellow and Midwife, said: “This year’s theme, “One Million More Midwives” is a very apt for us in England. A recent, sobering statistic shows that of the 2,800 midwives qualifying this academic year, there are currently only three NHS roles available for them to apply for.

I knew I was destined for midwifery because I was fascinated by the reproductive system in biology and certain facts stayed with me – like this: ‘Having one working fallopian tube doesn’t decrease your chances of pregnancy at all, if both ovaries continue taking turns alternating egg release. The remaining fallopian tube just pulls a double shift to capture released egg from either side to achieve a pregnancy!’ The wow’s continued from there.

I still say wow as I support mothers when they meet their babies and a new version of themselves. This career is emotional labour and often people say it’s rewarding but to me, it’s the closest to magic and miracles you can come to. There is often no logical rhyme or reason when things work and things don’t with innovative techniques and new technologies, so it really requires you to lean into appreciating the bigger picture.

Midwives traditionally support the transition of new life and also at the final moments. It’s a special club to be part of whether you are a traditional birth keeper or a High Dependency Unit Midwife. People need support at every level in between.

To me, Midwifery is both an art and science. It’s a constant blend of applying traditional tried and tested holistic tools to support the childbearing population and relying on the exciting opportunities science brings our way to improve outcomes. It means I am poised to navigate that balancing act to honour the families in my care.

I’m delighted to have recently been accepted onto the 2026-2028 Cohort for the Executive Sponsor programme run by the International Confederation of Midwives. The organisation supports sharing learning, best practice and innovation internationally and I look forward to the potential growth of my professional network to share the knowledge I have gained this year here at NHS Supply Chain.”

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