British Journal of Midwifery honours male midwife for lifetime contribution to the profession

One of the first men to train as a midwife in England has been recognised for his lifetime’s achievements at the 9th annual BJM Midwifery Practice Awards 2012.

Professor Paul Lewis, Emeritus Professor of Midwifery at Bournemouth University, trained at The Whittington Hospital in London in 1980 as part of a pilot scheme encouraging men to become midwives.

Throughout his distinguished career, Professor Lewis worked across professional boundaries, seeking to strengthen the role of midwives and highlight their unique contribution to mothers, families and the community.

Accepting the prestigious Lifetime Achievement award from successful comedy actress Susan Earl, who played Sue in BBC 1’s Reggie Perrin, Professor Lewis said: ‘I could give up being a professor, but not being a midwife. I would wonder who Professor Lewis truly was if I wasn’t a midwife.’

Professor Lewis said he owed his career in midwifery to the strong women in his family, particularly his mother. He paid special tribute to the commitment and passion of student midwives today.

In 2003, Professor Lewis was appointed as the first visiting professor of midwifery at the Kwong Wah hospital in Hong Kong. The Royal College of Midwives recognized his contribution to the profession and awarded him an honorary fellowship in 2007.

The BJM Midwifery Practice Awards were held at the Grange City Hotel in London on Thursday (3rd May 2012), alongside British Journal of Midwifery’s (BJM's) two-day national conference on intrapartum care. 

The awards attracted a very high standard of entries in six major categories from enthusiastic individuals and teams highlighting excellent practice for the challenging work that midwives perform.

Photos from the evening and a full list of the winners will be published on the BJM Awards website

For more information, quotes and photos, please contact Sophie Gardner, Editor, BJM: bjm@markallengroup.com

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