Walsall Clinical Research Midwife Hannah Cook is keen to highlight the invaluable role Black Country women can play in studies and trials.

Hannah, who has worked at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust for six years, is proud to share her involvement on International Day of the Midwife and hopes to encourage more colleagues to become research active too.

“All of our practice should be underpinned by research and in women’s health we still have a long way to go to better understand conditions, the treatment of them and how we can increase our knowledge to bring life-changing benefits,” she said.

“If research is to be genuinely representative it needs to go beyond the large tertiary units and reach sites like Walsall.

“Research underpins the care we provide, so it is critically important that it accurately reflects the populations we serve.

“We hope to open our first gynaecology study soon but in Maternity Services we are running the Giant PANDA blood pressure medication study and the SNAP-3 trial working with pregnant smokers. We work hard to raise awareness and think it’s really powerful that our efforts here in the Black Country can help towards the bigger health picture across the country, as well as worldwide.

Hannah said she would love to see more Midwives become involved in research too.

“”Research doesn’t have to be complicated – in fact, often the simplest studies are the most effective. I’m constantly looking for new and exciting research opportunities to offer to women in Walsall.”