Ep 109 Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent on championing equity of quality care from the ward to the world

Ep 109  (http://ibit.ly/Re5V) Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent on championing equity of quality care from the ward to the world

#PhDMidwives #research #midwifery #forcedmigration #maternal #inequities #globalmidwifery #worldmidwives #ICM #maternalsafety #helpline

research link t.ly/B_Ngq

Some careers trace a tidy line; Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent’s draws a map. From cycling between neonatal units and community visits in Hackney to advising ministers and shaping WHO-backed guidance, she shows how a midwife’s craft scales from bedside to policy without losing its heart. The through-line is simple and hard: women deserve to be heard, understood, and supported by confident, competent midwives who have time to build trust.

We unpack the formative years in London’s melting pot, where culture, church and family shaped everything from pain expression to antenatal priorities. Jacqueline explains why continuity of care is more than a model; it’s the context that makes advice land and reduces unnecessary intervention. Her teaching era ran in parallel with hands-on births and multidisciplinary training, proving that credible education starts in the room where it matters most. A master’s in public health sharpened her prevention mindset and introduced epigenetics as a practical tool: every conversation on diet, sleep, breastfeeding and safety ripples across generations.

Her professional doctorate emerged from a ringing labour ward phone. Studying health-seeking behaviour on a maternity helpline, she found that careful listening and evidence-based reassurance keep many women safely at home longer, lower system pressure, and improve confidence. Those lessons later guided her as England’s chief midwife during COVID: pre-vaccine fear, staff shortages, and unequal risk demanded clear triage, protection for women facing domestic violence in lockdown, and targeted support for Black and Asian women disproportionately affected. Looking outward, she champions three landmark documents on midwife models of care from WHO and partners, calling them the blueprint for cutting preventable maternal and perinatal deaths if leaders choose to act.

Come for the story of a midwife who never left the bedside behind; stay for a clear, actionable case for midwife-led care that puts safety, dignity and public health first. If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review telling us where midwifery can make the biggest difference next.

Chapters

• 0:53 Origins: Choosing Midwifery
• 2:16 Training Across Community And Hospital
• 4:04 Hackney Caseload And Holistic Care
• 7:50 Teaching Spark And Clinical Education
• 12:51 Master’s In Public Health And Publishing
• 17:26 Epigenetics And Health Promotion Influence
• 19:46 Global Momentum For Midwife Models Of Care
• 22:33 From Lecturer To Consultant Midwife
• 25:42 Seeking Influence: Choosing A Prof Doc
• 28:52 Studying While Leading Major Services
• 33:28 The Thesis: Maternity Helpline Behaviours
• 37:46 What Women Need: To Be Heard
• 41:28 Continuity, Triage, And Staying Home Longer
• 43:09 Leading England’s Midwives Through COVID
• 47:36 Supervisors, Stamina, And Study Routines
• 52:03 Faith, Resilience, And Online Backlash
• 54:14 Finishing The Doctorate Amid Family Illness
• 57:06 Recognition, Royal Moments, And Legacy
• 58:02 Teaser: Stepping Into The ICM Role