Nenagh woman appointed UL Hospitals Director of Midwifery

UL Hospitals has announced the appointment of Margaret Quigley as the Group’s first Director of Midwifery.

Ms Quigley brings to the role 30 years clinical and management experience in midwifery in Ireland and the UK.

 

During 16 years as Assistant Director of Midwifery and more recently as Directorate Midwife/Nurse Manager in the Maternal and Child Health Directorate, Ms Quigley has had responsibility for the management of midwifery services 24-7 at University Maternity Hospital Limerick, one of the busiest maternity units in the country with approximately 4,700 births a year.

 

“I am passionate about midwifery and very excited about the rapid progress made in recent times to ensure better and safer maternity services at a local and national level. The Nurses and Midwives Act of 2011 recognised midwifery as a unique profession and raising the profile of midwives both locally and with the other Directors of Midwifery nationally is one of my aims in the new post,” said Ms Quigley.

 

The appointment comes at a time of change in Irish maternity services following the publication of the National Maternity Strategy: Creating a Better Future Together 2016-2026.

 

“Publication of the national document followed wide public consultation and clearly tells us what women want - choice, safety and normalisation of childbirth with the woman at the centre of care. I look forward to leading out on the implementation of the strategy locally and indeed progress has already been made in a number of areas: including plans to restore community midwifery services in the region; developing perinatal mental health services and renovating the home-from-home birthing room at UMHL for women with low-risk births,” said Ms Quigley.

 

“The new maternity standards – National Standards for Safer Better Maternity Services - were published in December and we have commenced increasing staff awareness about them. The prospect of having a new maternity hospital in Limerick – relocated to the UHL campus in Dooradoyle -  is also something that the women of the region can look forward to and I am excited at the prospect of being involved in planning this major project,” she added.

 

“It has been a privilege to work with the all the staff at University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL)over the years. Each and every day, they provide care to the women of the Midwest with great professionalism and compassion.  I believe the climate is very favourable for UMHL to respond to all the changes and to be one of the best maternity hospitals in Ireland.”

 

Ms Colette Cowan CEO, UL Hospitals Group, said the new post had been created to “provide the leadership necessary to ensure that the Group’s maternity services are high quality, evidence-based, woman-centred and cost effective”

 

 

 

“In Margaret Quigley, we have selected somebody with a proven track record in developing and overseeing a wide range of woman-focused quality initiatives and somebody who goes to great lengths to actively engage our service users in the development of our services at UMHL. We wish her well in her new role at what is a very exciting stage in the development of services in the region and nationally,” Ms Cowan said.

 

Ms Quigley is educated to master level. She is a native of Dublin and lives in Nenagh with husband Seamus and son TJ.