My name is Waheeda Abbas, Midwifery Lead for the NHS North West Genomic Medicine Service (NW GMS). With more than 20 years of midwifery experience, I have dedicated my career to improving outcomes for women, babies, and families through compassionate, evidence-based care. Today, my role focuses on ensuring that genomics becomes a meaningful and practical component of everyday maternity care across the North West.

When I first became involved in genomics, I quickly realised that it was not simply about genetics, laboratory science, or complex terminology. At its core, genomics is about people. It is about understanding individual and family health, supporting informed decision-making, and creating opportunities for earlier diagnosis, better treatment, and improved outcomes. As genomic medicine continues to develop, it is becoming increasingly relevant throughout the maternity pathway, from preconception care and pregnancy through to birth and the newborn period.

The potential impact of genomics within maternity services is significant. Midwives are often the first healthcare professionals to discuss family history, inherited conditions, screening, and testing with women and their families. As genomic medicine becomes more integrated into routine healthcare, midwives have a vital role in recognising when genomic factors may be relevant, facilitating appropriate conversations, and ensuring timely referral to specialist services. My role is to support the workforce in developing the confidence and capability to undertake this important aspect of care.

As Midwifery Lead for the NW GMS, I provide strategic leadership and professional guidance to maternity teams across the region. This includes workforce education, resource development, pathway improvement, service collaboration, and promoting equitable access to genomic services. I work closely with maternity services, clinical genetics teams, genomic laboratory services, educators, researchers, and wider healthcare partners to ensure that genomics is embedded effectively across maternity care.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is supporting midwives to build their genomic knowledge and confidence. Through my work across the region, I have spoken with many midwives who express uncertainty about genomics, often perceiving it as a highly specialised area that sits outside routine clinical practice. I understand these concerns, as the field is evolving rapidly and can sometimes seem overwhelming. However, I firmly believe that genomics is already part of midwifery practice. Every time a midwife discusses family history, explores inherited conditions, recognises potential genetic concerns, or supports informed choices around testing, they are engaging with genomics.

My approach focuses on making genomics practical, accessible, and relevant. Rather than expecting midwives to become genetics experts, I aim to help them understand how genomics relates to the care they provide every day. A confident midwife should be able to identify genomic “red flags”, ask the right questions, initiate sensitive discussions with families, and know when specialist support may be required. By building this confidence across the workforce, we can improve access to genomic medicine and ultimately enhance patient care.

A central theme throughout my work is equity. The North West is home to richly diverse communities with varying cultures, languages, beliefs, and healthcare experiences. While genomic medicine offers exciting opportunities, existing inequalities could widen if access is not carefully considered. Individuals may face barriers related to language, health literacy, cultural understanding, socioeconomic circumstances, or previous experiences of healthcare services. Addressing these barriers is essential if genomic medicine is to benefit everyone equally.

My secondary role as a Specialist Cultural Liaison Midwife has profoundly influenced how I approach this work. Throughout my career, I have witnessed how communication barriers and cultural differences can affect access to healthcare and informed decision-making. This experience reinforced the importance of designing services that are inclusive, accessible, and responsive to the needs of diverse populations. In genomics, this is particularly important when discussing sensitive issues such as inherited conditions, reproductive choices, family history, genomic testing, and consanguinity. Ensuring that conversations are culturally sensitive and tailored to individual needs is fundamental to delivering person-centred care.

Education is one of the most powerful tools we have for supporting the implementation of genomic medicine. A significant part of my role involves developing and promoting educational opportunities for midwives and maternity staff. I have contributed to the development of dedicated genomic learning resources designed specifically for midwives, recognising that educational materials must be relevant to clinical practice and aligned with the realities of busy maternity services.

Among these initiatives is the Genomics Learning Passport, which provides a structured framework to support learning and professional development in genomics. The aim is to equip midwives with the knowledge and confidence needed to apply genomic principles in practice while supporting continual learning as the field evolves. Through accessible resources, practical examples, and clear guidance, we can help ensure that genomics becomes a natural part of maternity care rather than an additional burden on an already stretched workforce.

Collaboration is another essential component of my work. The successful integration of genomics into maternity services cannot be achieved by any one profession or organisation working in isolation. It requires strong partnerships between maternity services, genomic medicine centres, clinical genetics teams, laboratories, educational institutions, researchers, and healthcare leaders. By building and maintaining these relationships, we create effective pathways, share expertise, and develop innovative solutions that benefit patients and healthcare professionals.

Research also plays an important role in shaping the future of maternity care. Advances in genomic science continue to transform our understanding of health and disease, creating new opportunities for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. One exciting example is the Generation Study, which is exploring how whole-genome sequencing may help identify rare genetic conditions in newborn babies. Initiatives such as this demonstrate the potential of genomic medicine to improve outcomes through earlier diagnosis and intervention.

Midwives have a crucial role in supporting genomic research. We are often trusted sources of information for families and can help them understand both the benefits and limitations of participation in research studies. Equally important is ensuring that participation opportunities are accessible to all communities so that research findings reflect the diversity of the populations we serve. Inclusive research is essential if future genomic advances are to benefit everyone.

I am incredibly proud that my work has received national recognition, including being named Midwife of the Year at the 2024 Nursing Times Awards for developing a multilingual maternity resource aimed at improving access to information for women from diverse backgrounds. In addition, I received the Silver Chief Midwifery Officer’s Award. While such recognition is deeply meaningful, what matters most to me is the impact on the families we serve. Seeing women and their families feeling informed, empowered, and supported in their healthcare decisions remains my greatest professional achievement.

Looking ahead, I believe that genomics should not be viewed as a separate speciality sitting alongside maternity care. Instead, it should be seamlessly integrated into routine practice and become part of how we assess, communicate, plan, and deliver care. Genomics has the potential to transform maternity services, but realising that potential depends upon an informed, confident, and compassionate workforce.

As a Genomics Midwife, I am committed to supporting that transformation through leadership, education, collaboration, and advocacy. My goal is to help ensure that every woman, baby, and family can benefit from advances in genomic medicine, regardless of their background, language, culture, or circumstances. By working together, we can build a future where genomic medicine is not only innovative but also equitable, accessible, and truly embedded within everyday maternity care.