• National midwifery award for Director of Midwifery at Bolton, Janet Cotton
• Janet was given the honour for her work transforming maternity care in Bolton
• The award was presented by Chief Midwifery Officer for England, Kate Brintworth

Our Director of Midwifery, Janet Cotton, has been awarded a prestigious national honour on behalf of the midwifery profession.

The Chief Midwifery Officer’s Silver Award is presented to midwives who demonstrate exceptional dedication and performance, and excellence in areas such as clinical practice, leadership, education, service development, and improving outcomes for women, newborns, and families.

Janet was presented this award by Kate Brintworth, Chief Midwifery Officer for England, as an acknowledgment of her role in improving maternity services in Bolton, and developing the care that is provided for women and families accessing our services.

Janet began her midwifery journey in 1992, training locally in the Greater Manchester area before coming to work in Bolton as a newly qualified midwife in 1993. She built her career here in Bolton, leaving in 2013 after twenty years to pursue leadership opportunities.

She rejoined the Trust in 2022 during a difficult period for maternity services; navigating national staffing challenges, the complexities of a post-COVID landscape, and most recently, the identification of RAAC on the maternity unit which has led to the complete refurbishment of our maternity and women’s health care department.

Kate Brintworth, Chief Midwifery Officer for England said when presenting Janet with her award:

Your colleagues can’t speak highly enough of you, whether that’s regionally, or here in Bolton. They think so much of you, and that’s a testament to your hard work. You have put this organisation, and therefore the people that you serve, in such a strong position for maternity care.

“When you came you led with openness and transparency. You saw that staff were not happy, there was high attrition, and it was not considered a desirable trust to train. Within 18 months, you had completely turned this around and Bolton became a place where students wanted to come and do placements.

“That tells you that they feel safe, secure, and that you’ve helped build an organisation that people can trust.

Tyrone Roberts, Chief Nursing Officer for Bolton NHS Foundation Trust said:

Janet has my greatest respect. She has courage, attention to detail and a drive to improve all whilst leading in a way that builds the foundation for reliable and quality safe care.

“I’m thrilled that she has been acknowledged at the highest of levels for her services to families in Bolton.

Janet added:

I’ve been very fortunate in my career, in that I discovered my passion for midwifery when I was only 18. My time at Bolton has flown by, we had our children here, and I really feel that I grew up here in Bolton as the service invested in my development. It is a privilege to come full circle and be in the position I’m in today.

“It’s a totally unexpected privilege to receive this award today, I accept it for myself and also for the whole team I work with and for the families in our care. Without the team that I work with I wouldn’t be able to do what I do.

Bolton maternity services provide care for more than 5,000 women a year, at the Royal Bolton Hospital, Ingleside Community Centre and across health centres in Bolton.