Julia Clark

Over the past 15 years, Julia has gained a deep understanding of safety principles, maternity work on the ground, and the wider landscape in perinatal care. As a registered midwife, she worked across hospital and community settings at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust and Chesterfield Royal Hospital. Her PhD at the University of Leicester – an ethnographic study of variation in care following altered fetal movements – provided a strong foundation in the skills required to use qualitative data to inform safety improvements. As Assistant Professor in Midwifery at the University of Nottingham, she supported student midwives to become safe, accountable practitioners, leading practice assessments and pre- and post-registration education activity. 

In her current role at the pregnancy and baby loss charity, Sands, she was research lead for the 2023 Sands Listening Project, which focused on the care experiences of Black and Asian bereaved parents, and led a 2024 Horizon Scanning initiative aiming to improve information and guidance about fetal movements. She continues to hold an honorary Assistant Professor role at the University of Nottingham, where, drawing on her experience in the third sector, she teaches on policy and campaigning and pathways to improvement in maternity care.