Annie Francis, Board Member, Independent Midwives UK

Annie has been an independent midwife for over twelve years. She has four children and their births were the catalyst for her change of career from social worker to midwife. She is passionate about the importance of supporting and enabling women to have real choice about how they experience childbirth – even when this is challenging for the health professionals involved. Annie has been active for many years in the politics of childbirth and is determined to see policy and rhetoric transform into genuine change at grassroots level.

Annie is a board member of Independent Midwives UK, which is now a social enterprise. She is working on the integration of their alternative, sustainable and safe model of care into the NHS. Sitting alongside current provision, it will offer increased continuity and choice for both midwives and women, broadening provision at a local level and providing a responsive, cost effective and high quality service for any woman who chooses it, free at the point of delivery.