The award-winning RCM Annual Conference returned to Manchester Central last week. Free-to-attend for the second year, the Conference attracted over 3,000 midwifery professionals to a content-rich two-day programme including dedicated strands for student midwives and maternity support workers.
The conference featured:
- Sessions on topics including, multidisciplinary teamwork; perinatal mental health; challenging inequality, sexism and discrimination; leadership at every level; stillbirth and systems design and patient safety
- A lively exhibition featuring over 60 companies with many offering a raft of free samples for visitors to enjoy
- The Scummy Mummies – a comedy duo made up of Ellie Gibson and Helen Thorn who changed lyrics to songs by the Spice Girls and Bonnie Tyler’s ‘I Need a Hero’ so they related to midwifery. Dressed in full lycra costumes, the duo also presented a segment on the worst gifts that midwives receive from patients: out of date chocolates and a burnt candle were just some of those offered by an audience that were in hysterics
- The ever-popular conference party featuring music from Under the Covers, photo booth and, as ever, the Conga!
Of this year’s conference, Dr Suzanne Tyler, Director for Services to Members at the Royal College of Midwives, said ‘The RCM conference is the biggest event in the midwifery year. Once again Redactive has worked with us to deliver an amazing event that provides learning, networking, sharing and much laughing; and it’s free to attend for our members. It has to be something special for midwives to justify being away from busy maternity units for 2 days.
This year over 3,000 made the decision to give up their time and attend the conference for inspiration, solidarity and professional development. Redactive has given us a well-designed, well-managed and well-run conference that meets our major objective as a membership organisation of providing high-quality value for money services and benefits to our members’.