Nicola Wenlock’s days tend to be full of meetings and report writing but she swapped this for a chat over nappies, birth plans and breastfeeding with mums as she went back on to the maternity ward for the day.

Nicola began her NHS career in 1989 as a student nurse  and she is now Divisional Director of Midwifery, Gynaecology and Sexual Health with Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust.

She decided to go “back to the floor” for a couple of days to work alongside her colleagues and put her practical clinical skills back to use.

Nicola said: “Going back on to the floor was really exciting. It was nice to spend time with mothers and babies. It was good to get amongst the team too and see the fab things they are doing and also to listen to their concerns. It is something I plan to do more regularly in all areas as visibility amongst our clinical teams and women at a senior level is so important.

“Our maternity department went from a CQC rating of inadequate to requires improvement to GOOD in 21 months! This is because of all our amazing staff and everything they do.

“They contribute and make our patients a priority. Seeing this all again was a humbling experience.

“I am really proud of all our maternity teams in the hospital and the community who are now working towards making our trust an Outstanding one by 2022.”