Cathy (centre) with members of her Midwifery Team
A much-loved midwifery leader who has dedicated 50 years to caring for women, babies and families, is retiring after an extraordinary career serving the NHS, leaving a lasting legacy on maternity care across the Wigan Borough and beyond.
Cathy Stanford, Director of Midwifery at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL), is hanging up her uniform after reaching the remarkable milestone of half a century in healthcare.
Starting her career as a paediatric nurse in Liverpool in 1976, Cathy later found her true calling in midwifery and went on to spend five decades supporting women, babies and families through some of life's most important moments.
Over the years, Cathy has worked in every area of maternity services, earning a reputation for her dedication, compassion and unwavering commitment to delivering the highest standards of care.
Thousands of local families have benefited from services shaped by Cathy's leadership, experience and passion for improving maternity care and her influence can be seen not only in the care women and babies have received, but in the many midwives and healthcare professionals she has mentored and inspired throughout her career.
During her time at WWL, Cathy progressed from frontline clinical roles to become Director of Midwifery, helping to lead maternity services through significant changes and challenges. Under her leadership, the Trust's maternity services achieved an overall ‘Good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and are now among the least intensively monitored services in England, a reflection of the strong culture of safety, quality and continuous improvement she championed.
Colleagues gathered recently to celebrate Cathy's retirement and thank her for the enormous contribution she has made to the NHS and the communities of Wigan, Leigh and beyond. The guest list also included esteemed colleagues, Claire Matthews, Regional Chief Midwife, Julie Cheetham, Senior Responsible Officer for Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems (LMNS) in Greater Manchester, Sarah Owen, Associate Director for Maternity (ICB/LMNS) at NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care and Alison McGovern, Associate Director for Maternity Assurance LMNS.
Known for her unwavering commitment to women and families, as well as her knowledge of maternity services, Cathy has become a trusted and respected figure across Greater Manchester. Colleagues describe her as a calm and compassionate leader who never lost sight of what matters most - delivering safe, personalised care for every family. Paying tribute to Cathy, colleagues described her as a respected leader, mentor and friend whose influence has shaped the careers of countless midwives and healthcare professionals.
Cathy with Assistant Director of Nursing, Amanda Cheesman
Kev Parker-Evans, WWL’s Chief Nursing Officer said: "Cathy has dedicated her life to supporting women, families and colleagues. She has always had exceptionally high standards and has worked tirelessly to ensure women receive safe, compassionate and high-quality care.
"Her knowledge, experience and commitment are second to none, but perhaps her greatest legacy is the number of people she has supported, developed and inspired throughout her career. Maternity services across our borough are stronger because of her leadership and dedication."
Reflecting on her retirement, Cathy said she is looking forward to spending more time with her husband Brian and family, travelling and enjoying new adventures after a lifetime of NHS service.
Cathy said: “While I know retirement is the right decision; I leave with mixed emotions, and I am excited for the opportunities that lie ahead and for the time I will be able to spend with family and friends.
“Though I am incredibly sad to say goodbye to colleagues who have become friends, and to a service that has meant so much to me, I am enormously proud of what we have achieved together. Every improvement in care, every challenge overcome, every family supported and every member of staff developed has been the result of teamwork. Whatever successes I may have had throughout my career have only been possible because of the talented, committed and compassionate people I have worked with.
“It has been an immense privilege to serve the women, babies, children and families who place their trust in us, and a privilege to work alongside such dedicated colleagues. I will always look back on my time in the NHS with a profound sense of pride and though I may be retiring from my role, I will never stop being proud to have been a nurse, a midwife and a leader within the NHS.”
Everyone at WWL would like to thank Cathy for her outstanding contribution to the NHS over the last 50 years and wish her a long, healthy and happy retirement. Her legacy will live on through the services she helped shape, the colleagues she mentored and the countless families whose lives she touched.