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Members of the
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Click the names for the
full biography:
Patron:
Baroness Ruth Rendell
Cathy
Warwick CBE - General Secretary of the Royal
College of Midwives (RCM)
Co-founders:
Sarah Creighton
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Consultant Gynaecologist,
University College Hospital London.
Yana
Richens
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Consultant Midwife, University College
Hospital, London.
Members:
Dorcas
Akeju OBE (Chair) -
Specialist Midwife for FGM/Inherited
Blood Disorders.
Tina Lavender -
Professor of Midwifery, University of
Manchester and
St Mary’s
Hospital, Manchester.
Carol McCormick
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Consultant
Midwife and Supervisor of Midwives at Nottingham University
Hospitals
Comfort Momoh
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Midwife FGM/Public Health
Specialist, Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital, London.
Joanne Topping (Treasurer) -
Consultant Obstetrician, Liverpool Women's
Hospital.
Dorothy
Lee Zack Williams - Clinical Nurse Specialist
Lead
for Haemoglobinopathies, Liverpool PCT, Merseyside.
Tunde Zack-Williams
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Professor of Sociology, University of Central
Lancashire.
Support team:
Linda Holmes
Becky
Lavender - FGM National Clinical Group researcher.
Susan Smith -
FGM
National Clinical Group secretary.
Mahbir
Thukral - Brand consultant.
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Baroness Ruth Rendell |
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I have been
working to put an end to Female Genital Mutilation in the United Kingdom for a
number of years now. Introducing me to Yana Richens a consultant midwife at
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital in London, and through her to gynaecologist
Sarah Creighton, will be a landmark in this enterprise.
The newly-formed
National Clinical Guideline group is to be launched to educate health care
professionals and combat FGM in what I think may well be the most effective move
yet. They have asked me to be one of its patrons. The group’s instigators are
ideally placed to recognise and monitor instances of FGM among patients and
clients. They are also keen and vigorous opponents of this cruel and entirely
unnecessary practice.
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Cathy Warwick CBE |
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Cathy Warwick CBE is General Secretary of
the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), one of the world's oldest and largest
midwifery organisations, representing the majority of the UK’s midwives.
Cathy began her career by gaining a nursing
degree at Edinburgh University in 1975. She then completed the one year
midwifery course at Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in London in 1976, and worked as
a midwife across a variety of clinical settings in hospitals and in the
community. She has held a number of senior posts in midwifery education and in
the NHS managing midwifery and nursing services. Prior to joining the RCM she
was Director of Midwifery and General Manager for Women & Children’s Services at
King College Hospital in London. She has an MSc in Social Policy, an Advanced
Diploma in Midwifery (ADM) and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education of
Adults.
Her work has led to invitations to sit on
many national maternity policy committees, and she has been Chair of the
Midwifery Committee at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and Chair of the
maternity working group contributing to the Darzi report, Healthcare for London.
Cathy has also written and published widely
on midwifery issues and lectures and speaks nationally and internationally. She
was awarded a visiting professorship by King’s College, London in 2004.
She received a CBE for Services to
Healthcare in 2006, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from St George’s and
Kingston University, London in 2007.
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Sarah Creighton MD FRCOG |
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I am an NHS Consultant in
Obstetrics and Gynaecology University College London Hospitals NHS Trust. I
have a special interest in paediatric and adolescent gynaecology. I work
with adolescents and adult women with acquired and congenital genital
anomalies. In 2000 I established the African Women’s Clinic at UCH for women
affected by female genital mutilation. This clinic offers a sensitive and
holistic approach for women affects by FGM. We offer reversal as an
outpatient procedure if wished and psychological support is available. I
lecture widely on the health implications of FGM.
I am committed to improving
health care available for women resident in the UK affected by FGM and also
to the prevention of FGM.
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Yana Richens
SEN, RGN, RM,BSc (Hons) Nursing, MSc Midwifery |
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I
am a Consultant Midwife in Public Health at University College Hospitals London,
It was whilst working with women during the postnatal period that I became aware
that not all women who have undergone FGM were aware that this procedure is
against the law in the UK. It was also clear that, midwives and health care
professionals who come into contact with women. It was following an introduction
to Baroness Rendell of Babergh and a discussion with Sarah Creighton that the UK
FGM clinical guideline group was formed.
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Dorcas Akeju OBE
(Chair) |
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Dorcas has been
a practising midwife for over 30 years and work in all areas of midwifery with
the last 15 years on Community. She was the co-ordinator of the pilot team which
implemented Changing Childbirth at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital in 1996.
In 1999, she was
actively involved in the developing of a special Antenatal clinic (The Link
Clinic) for women who do not speak English ensuring an effective ways of
communication. The clinic is supported by Health Link Workers who have dual
languages; interpreters and Telephone Line are used as appropriate.
In 2003, Dorcas
was honoured by the Queen with the Order of British Empire (OBE) for her
services to the NHS and community. She became the Specialist Midwife for
Inherited Blood Disorders in 2004 and was part of the North West Regional
trainers. She took active part in the implementation of universal screen for
haemoglobinopathies in her unit. She offers support and counselling for women
who have been circumcised (Female Genital Mutilation) and ensures they get
appropriate quality care. She is the Chair of Liverpool FGM/Multi-Cultural
Women’s Advisory Group.
She is actively
involved in the equality issues as the Lead for Equality and Diversity Lead. She
represents the Trust at the Single Equality Scheme Learning Sites for the
Department of Health. She is also responsible for the Equality and Diversity
training.
As a Supervisor
of Midwives, she does not only ensure safety of mothers and babies but also has
a great interest in encouraging midwives to develop themselves and giving
support as necessary.
She is an active
member of the Royal College of Midwives and was on the RCM Council for 7 years
but is now on the RCM (England) Board.
She is very
involved in the community and believes that health should be equal to all. She
also believes that as professionals, we can reduce the “gap of Inequalities in
health”.
She enjoys reading and most of her spare time is spent with fellow Christians
and different community groups.
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Tina Lavender |
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I am a Professor of Midwifery at
the University of Manchester and St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester.
I am an experienced researcher with a number of research interests, which focus
on women’s expectations, experiences and outcomes. Much of this work is
International, through partnerships with groups such as the African Midwives
Research Network.
Although not a specialist in FGM, I actively seek to improve women’s lives
through research, education and practice. My main role within the FGM group is
to lead the national research strategy.
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Carol McCormick |
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Carol is
a Consultant Midwife and Supervisor of Midwives at Nottingham University
Hospitals
Having
worked in the Middle East and Africa as a midwife, Carol's substantial
experience had enabled her to set up a pathway and service for woman in
Nottingham who have undergone FGM. The clinic was established in 2006.
She also
provides interagency links and training on FGM.
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Comfort Momoh,
RN, RM, FPN, BSc MSc |
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Comfort Momoh is
a FGM Consultant/Public Health Specialist and has is a staunch campaigner for
the eradication of FGM.
Comfort
established and runs the African Well Woman’s Clinic at Guy’s and St Thomas
Foundation Trust in London, this is a support service for women and girls who
have undergone FGM. The clinic provides counselling, advice, support,
information and surgical reversal of FGM As a result Comfort was awarded became
the first ever nurse/midwife of the year by the Trust in 2003.
Comfort is an
expert in the field, she is well known both nationally and internationally,
providing training, workshop, seminars and conferences.
Comfort has
served as a temporary consultant with The World Health Organisation, and is
Chairperson for the Black Women’s Health and Family supports (A non-governmental
organisation working and supporting the community), and vice-president for
EURONET (European Network on FGM).
Recently Comfort has edited a book on FGM.
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Dr. Joanne
Topping MB ChB FRCOG (Treasurer) |
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I am a Consultant Obstetrician
at Liverpool Women's Hospital. Liverpool Women's is one of the largest
purpose built maternity units in Europe delivering approximately 8000 women
a year. When planning the services at the new hospital we were lucky that to
an extent the needs of our established multicultural community was
recognised and an antenatal clinic established to serve our ethnic minority
population. I am lucky to work with a great multidisciplinary team within
this clinic and thus tend to see most of the women who have undergone female
genital mutilation.
Whilst supporting those who work hard to abolish FGM, my main focus is
teaching doctors and midwives how to support those women who have already
undergone FGM and offer training to all staff in the techniques used to "
open " women to allow for safer delivery.
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Dorothy Lee
Zack-Williams,
RN, RM, HV, CPE, BSc (Hons), MSc Ethics in Health Care |
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I am
currently working as a Clinical Nurse Specialist Lead for
Haemoglobinopathies (Sickle Cell Anaemia, Thalasaemia, & G6PD
Deficiency) for Liverpool PCT, Merseyside. I am also Associate
Lecturer at Liverpool University, Honorary Lecture at Liverpool
John Moores University and Edge Hill University.
I have
worked with women in the various communities in Liverpool and
through my work, I became sensitised to the issues around FGM.
Together with other women, we were able to set up the
Multicultural Advisory Group to support, educate and train women
in community and to raise awareness of health issues identified
by these women. We convened a number of conferences leading to
the setting up of a clinic for women suffering the effects of
FGM at Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
I have
worked with sickle cell sufferers for many years in the
community and have given support towards raising awareness,
founding of support groups and general fund raising. I am
currently a member of the Research Adult Ethics Committee, where
we scrutinise research applications involving adults in the
Northwest of England.
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Tunde
Zack-Williams |
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I am Professor of
Sociology at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston and
Vice-President of the African Studies Association of the United Kingdom. I
have published extensively on Africa and the African Diaspora.
I have worked with local
groups of multicultural women in raising awareness of the problems
surrounding FGM. I feel that I can bring a radical sociological perspective
to the discourse on FGM.
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