Dr Anna Madeley

I am a registered midwife with a deep passion for supporting women, families, and midwives through all stages of the childbearing journey. Over the years, I’ve been privileged to work across the full spectrum and scope of midwifery care. My leadership journey has included roles such as pactice development midwife, founder and lead of a dedicated Homebirth Team, and, following the completion of my PhD, Consultant Midwife. After two fulfilling years as Deputy Head of Subject for Midwifery and Lead Midwife for Education at a University in the Midlands, I have moved to a London University, where I continue my work as an educator, researcher and academic, contributing to midwifery research, teaching, and professional development.

My doctoral research explored, through grounded theory, how women construct and navigate decisions that fall outside established clinical guidelines, such as declining or requesting interventions not routinely offered, and the complex social and systemic factors that shape those choices. This work deepened my commitment to understanding how maternity services, policies, and professional practices can better support genuine choice and autonomy. I’m particularly interested in the legal, ethical, and regulatory frameworks that underpin contemporary maternity care.

I am also the author and editor of Home Birth (Elsevier, 2023), a work that brings together key experts to critically apply evidence and experience, to support development of evidence based service standards. The book explores a wide range of holistic considerations, equipment and key skills for midwives and paramedics supporting strategic and operational planning for safe homebirth services. My interest in this area continues across provision of education around community birth including leading University modules for both paramedic and midwifery students in this area.

Alongside my academic work, I teach midwives and paramedics across the UK obstetric emergencies in community settings and human rights in childbirth. I also collaborate with nursing and medical colleagues to create educational and research initiatives aimed at strengthening knowledge and skills around safe, compassionate abortion care.

My research interests span a wide range of areas including personalised care planning, informed decision-making, complex care, reproductive rights, midwifery education and pedagogy, and home birth. My MSc in Evidence-Based Healthcare from the University of Oxford provided me with a strong foundation in study design, medical statistics, and qualitative research method, skills that continue to inform my teaching and scholarship. My MSc thesis explored the experiences of midwives supporting women with complex needs who choose to give birth at home.

My passion for research and education in midwifery is reflected in my diverse portfolio, which encompasses clinical practice, human rights, and innovation in midwifery education.