Bereavement Midwife

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust seeks a dedicated Bereavement Midwife to deliver compassionate, specialist care for families experiencing pregnancy loss. You will lead emotional support, clinical guidance, and multidisciplinary collaboration across the Trust, ensuring respectful communication and culturally appropriate care during a highly sensitive time.

The role includes running the Rainbow Clinic, coordinating referrals, mentoring staff, and contributing to policy development and

Qualifications

• Registered Midwife with current practising status.
• First Level Degree in related healthcare discipline or substantial experiential equivalence.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development evidenced by portfolio.
• Teaching qualification valued for staff education.

Responsibilities

• The post holder will liaise with all key members of the multidisciplinary team and service users within the speciality.
• Take responsibility for all aspects of patient care including assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of direct patient care.
• Work weekdays with occasional weekends and/or nights to monitor quality of service across a 24-hour period.
• Monitor and ensure a positive focused service incorporating patients' feedback to improve patient care.
• Provide specialised training for staff regarding the management of pregnancy loss.
• Act as an effective role model and mentor promoting excellence through practice.

Skills

Counselling

Education

Registered Midwife

First Level Degree in related healthcare discipline or substantial experiential equivalence

Evidence of learning beyond registration evidenced by relevant professional portfolio

Teaching qualification

Job description

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Bereavement Midwife

The closing date is 18 November 2026

We are looking for a dedicated professional to play a key role in delivering exceptional patient care. In this position, you will work closely with all members of the multi-disciplinary team and service users within the speciality, ensuring seamless communication and collaboration.

You will take responsibility for every aspect of patient care, from assessment and planning to delivery and evaluation, providing compassionate and high-quality support throughout. The role involves working weekdays with occasional weekends or nights to maintain and monitor the quality of service across a 24-hour period.

Your commitment to excellence will include gathering and acting on patient feedback to continuously improve care standards. You will also provide specialised training for staff in the sensitive and vital area of managing pregnancy loss, sharing your expertise to enhance team capability.

As a role model and mentor, you will inspire others by promoting best practice and setting the highest standards in patient care. If you are passionate about making a real impact and leading by example, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be expected to liaise appropriately with all key members of the multi-disciplinary team and service users related to the speciality.

To be responsible for all aspects of patient care including the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of direct patient care.

To work weekdays with occasional weekends and/or nights to monitor quality of service throughout a 24-hour period.

To monitor and ensure a positive focused service-incorporating patients' feedback to improve patient care.

To provide specialised training for staff regarding the management of pregnancy loss.

To act as an effective role model and mentor promoting excellence through practice.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job

Job responsibilities

SUMMARY OF ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

The role centres on providing specialist clinical, emotional, and administrative support for families experiencing pregnancy loss, while ensuring high-quality bereavement care across the organisation. The post-holder acts as a clinical expert, advising staff at all levels on the physical, psychological, and procedural aspects of pregnancy loss. They support families from the point of loss through follow-up contact, facilitate communication with healthcare professionals and chaplaincy, and ensure families cultural and religious needs are met. They also coordinate funeral arrangements within hospital guidelines, manage tissue and organ retention processes, and oversee dignified handling and disposal of fetal remains, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths.

A key component is running the Rainbow Clinic, managing referrals, and supporting CDOP processes alongside the safeguarding team. The post-holder inputs data into PMRT and MBRRACE, participates in review meetings, maintains databases for death certification and post-mortem consent, and monitors national developments in post-mortem and tissue retention practice. They ensure all policies, guidelines, and procedures related to bereavement care are evidence-based, up-to-date, and accessible via the Trusts intranet and website. They also maintain accurate nursing and bereavement documentation in line with the National Bereavement Care Pathway.

In caring for patients, the post-holder delivers emotional and psychological support following pregnancy or neonatal loss, facilitates viewings, and refers families for formal counselling when required. They ensure high standards of care, clear communication, safeguarding, and a safe, clean clinical environment. They coordinate timely discharge planning and liaise with community services.

Leadership responsibilities include day-to-day management of nursing and support staff, leading recruitment and appraisal processes, maintaining low vacancy rates, and supporting induction and development programmes. They mentor and motivate staff, act as a role model, investigate incidents and complaints, and support staff in delivering bereavement care. They promote effective teamwork and communication across departments and support teaching, staff development, and student nurse education.

The role contributes to policy and service development by ensuring staff compliance with Trust policies (e.g., infection control, confidentiality, equality) and by helping develop and implement relevant guidelines. They identify and elevate concerns about care quality and lead on service improvement initiatives.

Financial and physical resource responsibilities include maintaining a safe ward environment, ensuring proper storage and recording of medications (including controlled drugs), overseeing non-staff budgets, and promoting cost-effective use of supplies.

Information governance duties include ensuring confidentiality and secure handling of patient records, as well as maintaining effective communication systems that keep staff informed of organisational changes.

In research and development, the post-holder participates in audits of clinical practice, stays updated on current evidence and trends, maintains mandatory training, and supports the learning environment for all staff and students. They contribute to teaching and education programmes, ensure appropriate mentorship provision for student placements, and act on the outcomes of education audits.

Overall, the role integrates expert clinical practice, compassionate family support, multidisciplinary coordination, staff leadership, policy involvement, and service improvement to ensure high-quality, holistic bereavement care within the Trust.

Qualifications

• Registered Midwife
• First Level Degree in related healthcare discipline or substantial experiential equivalence
• Evidence of learning beyond registration evidenced by relevant professional portfolio
• Teaching qualification

Experience

• Experience of multi-disciplinary working
• Evidence of midwifery experience in all clinical areas
• Previous experience with bereaved parents
• Proven leadership skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, report writing and investigation skills
• Knowledge of NMC Standards and Guidance
• Counselling qualification

Knowledge

• Ability to work effectively within the Multidisciplinary team
• Knowledge of current professional issues both locally and nationally
• Demonstrate awareness of current issues of National recommendations in line with the reduction of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in midwifery and nursing
• Provide written reports for the Head of Midwifery and Trust Board

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust