Although there is much about midwifery that has remained unchanged since it was first practised, the profession is inherently one of new beginnings. From welcoming a new life into the world, to creating new services to better meet the needs of women and families, midwives are witnesses to the power and necessity of change in this age-old profession.
This is a view that British Journal of Midwifery (BJM) shares and has exemplified in the many guises in which it has appeared since it was first launched 26 years ago. It is for this reason that I am delighted to welcome some new faces onto the Editorial Board. The role of this group of leading midwifery clinicians, academics and policy-makers may appear mysterious, but they play an essential part in delivering the timely clinical updates, excellent research and astute commentary that you see in these pages each month. Board members may advise on all aspects of editorial content—from recommending a topic that they would like to see featured, to encouraging new writers to get in touch, to supporting the peer-review process that upholds BJM's high standards. It goes without saying that without them, BJM simply would not be possible.
Being a part of BJM's Editorial Board requires dedication, creativity and enthusiasm, and I am pleased to announce our new consultant editor, Corina Casey-Hardman, who has these qualities to spare. Corina is a registered nurse and midwife, and is now Head of Midwifery at Halton Midwifery Services, having also held the Chair of the National Heads of Midwifery Forum. She has been part of the BJM Editorial Board, and her wit and wisdom makes her an ideal candidate to lead the future of the journal.
I am also pleased to announce four new Board members: Dr Sally Pezaro, Dr Sadie Geraghty, Alison Power and Dr Cathy Hamilton. Anybody following the work of Dr Pezaro and her colleagues will have seen her research on Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (Pezaro et al, 2018) that has become one of BJM's most read articles. Dr Geraghty is a frequent contributor to BJM and has written articles on almost every aspect of midwifery, most recently chiropractic care (Curnow and Geraghty, 2019), while Alison Power will also be a familiar name to BJM readers, thanks to her long-standing column on midwifery education, which you also can find in this issue. Last but not least, we welcome Dr Hamilton, Professional Lead Midwifery/Lead Midwife for Education at the University of Hertfordshire and another previous contributor to BJM.
This comes as BJM's consultant editors, Professor Dame Tina Lavender and Dr Yana Richens OBE, will be stepping down after 14 years, during which time, BJM has grown from strength to strength. Their support, advice and guidance has had an indelible impact and is something for which my MA Healthcare colleagues and I are very grateful. Thanks to them, BJM has cemented its place as a leading voice in British midwifery and has a chance to share research and examples of clinical excellence that can make a tangible difference to women and families.
I hope you will join me in thanking Tina and Yana, as well as extending your best wishes to BJM's newest Editorial Board members. I have no doubt of your support—after all, midwives are experts in welcoming new arrivals.