GOLD Speakers

Amanda Burleigh, Midwife

Dr. John Walsh

• Country: United Kingdom

Biography:

Over twelve years ago Amanda began to challenge the practice of immediate cord clamping after realizing that this common routine practice was not evidence based and deprived babies of their full blood volume causing iron deficiency anaemia. Amanda has been nominated and won several awards for this work including Midwife of the Year 2015, British Journal of Midwifery and Midwife of the Year 2012, Yorkshire Evening Post. Amanda is co-inventor of the Lifestart (bedside resuscitaire) trolley.

During this period of changing practice Amanda has often found herself the recipient of negative behaviours from some colleagues who opposed her “boat rocking” behavior and she found their behavior perplexing and very damaging. Dany Griffiths and Amanda are co-founders of #SaynotobullyinginMidwifery a facebook group which reaches out to Midwives who are recipients of bullying behavior and offers communal support and advice in an attempt to influence positive

John Walsh has worked in homeless health inclusion for over two decades. He is presently an OD Lead working on culture change and systems work. He has won a number of awards from NHS and non NHS organization. One of his most important awards was for compassion in healthcare from a family who created a series of health and care awards). John has worked closely with staff to develop caring supportive cultures. He has also worked with academics on this area and has taught internationally. John sits on the Yorkshire Faculty RCGP and the National Executive of the New NHS Alliance. He is presently writing the paper on social models and self care for West Yorkshire and Harrogate STP.