Jacqui steps up to lead Moray midwifery teams
Published: 21/09/2023 10:49NHS Grampian has appointed Jacqueline Keddie as the new midwifery lead for Moray as part of the Moray Maternity Service Plan which will see the recruitment of almost 100 additional staff.
Jacqui returns to Dr Gray’s Hospital after spending a number of years developing her skills in other roles across Grampian. She worked in the quality, risk and governance team before becoming a labour ward coordinator in Aberdeen, and has since spent a number of years as community team leader in Moray. She is excited about supporting teams that will expand significantly over the next few years.
She explains: “The recruitment of staff to support the development of a sustainable, consultant-led unit at Dr Gray’s Hospital is underway and going well. I have been lucky to benefit from really supportive line managers over the years who pushed me to develop my skillset and learning. I want to do that for others.”
Jacqui trained in Ayrshire and spent a year working at a hospital near London before relocating to Moray in 1998 to be near family. She adds: “I thought I’d only stay for a year but have never left. My husband is a keen golfer and it’s such a beautiful area. We raised our two kids here and now we couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. We regularly visiting Inverness, Glasgow and Aberdeen and don’t feel like we’re missing out on anything. Numerous friends and family have come to visit over the years and decided to move to the area!
“I remember thinking ‘why am I going to this little hospital?’ as I wasn’t sure if there would be many career opportunities further down the line. But it has been fantastic, with lots of training opportunities and making the most of chances to develop my career working across Grampian. Now that we have strong links with NHS Highland as well, I think those opportunities for colleagues to develop their skills in new ways will get even better.”
Reflecting on the change to come, Jacqui says: “I have met incredible colleagues and friends over the years who I’m sure will help me find my feet in this post. I’ve just loved midwifery since day dot and I really believe the training and developing I’ve done in the last five years will stand me in good stead. The midwifery ward at Dr Gray’s has always been lovely and homely, and I’ve always felt supported, cared for and nurtured here. I’m sure that will continue.
“Change doesn't have to be scary. It's daunting but I would rather jump in and get on board than worry about it. I love the fact no day is ever the same in midwifery, we get to meet incredible people and we see people both at their most vulnerable and their strongest. It really is a privilege to be there as people become new mums and dads.”
To find out more about job opportunities at Dr Gray’s Hospital, visit https://apply.jobs.scot.nhs.uk and in the ‘filter jobs’ section, type ‘Elgin’ into the ‘where’ box (to increase the radius, use the drop-down menu in the ‘distance’ box). Then, click ‘apply filters’ at the bottom. You can also click ‘create alerts’ to be notified of any new posts added matching your criteria.