Biography - Hannah Tizard @midwifetiz

 

I am a midwife, educator, and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, currently leading on recruitment and retention at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. In this role, I focus on workforce sustainability by developing strategies to attract, support, and retain midwives, ensuring that staff wellbeing and career development remain central to safe and effective maternity care. Alongside this, I am completing a master’s degree at the University of Lancashire, which I am due to complete in November 2025, further strengthening my research capacity in midwifery education and practice.

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My career has included academic roles as Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at the University of Lancashire and with All4Maternity as Education and Organisational Development Lead, as well as Editor-in-Chief of The Student Midwife Journal (2018–2019). I also contribute regularly to national and international conferences, workshops, and webinars, sharing expertise on midwifery practice, education, and research translation.

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My commitment to strengthening the evidence base for optimal cord clamping led me to establish the BloodtoBaby campaign, which raises global awareness of the importance of physiological transition at birth. Through the development of accessible resources and education, I have supported practice change to ensure that all babies, including those born preterm, by caesarean section, or in compromised condition, benefit from delayed cord clamping. This work has been recognised through endorsement by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and inclusion in the British Association of Perinatal Medicine’s Optimal Cord Management Toolkit for Preterm Babies (2020). For this contribution, I was honoured with the Royal College of Midwives Evidence into Practice Award in 2016.

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Now in its 10th year, BloodtoBaby.com continues to grow as an evidence-based platform dedicated to advancing understanding of physiological transition of the newborn with optimal cord clamping. The campaign has brought together leading experts in the field via collaboration and project work that strengthen the evidence base and extend the reach of best practice globally. It reflects my commitment to translating research into practice, using digital technology to make complex evidence accessible for practitioners, educators, and families.

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I believe that research-active initiatives and organisations not only improve care but also play a vital role in professional growth by creating environments where innovation, collaboration, and development are valued. Through my work I aim to bridge education, practice, and research to strengthen midwifery for the future. I welcome anyone who shares the vision of BloodtoBaby to get involved.