A DEDICATED midwife from the Ulster Hospital has been honoured for her outstanding care and compassion at a special ceremony marking International Day of the Midwife.
Amanda Stothers, who works in the hospital’s Home from Home Unit, received the Hazel McCalister Exceptional Midwife Award in recognition of her commitment to supporting women, babies and families.
The award was established in 2022 by the Royal College of Midwives following the death of respected midwife Hazel McCalister. Presented annually by Hazel’s family, it recognises a midwife nominated by colleagues for exceptional care, professionalism and teamwork.
The ceremony was attended by Mike Nesbitt, who praised the dedication of midwives across Northern Ireland.
Presenting the award, Hazel’s son Aaron said it was a privilege to present the award on behalf of the McCalister family.
“My mum was a deeply caring and compassionate person who cared greatly about the welfare of midwives,” he said. “We are very proud to have this award in her name and to be here today to present it.”
Amanda said she was deeply touched to receive the recognition.
“It is a privilege and an honour to accept this award on behalf of our team,” she said. “I think we are all very deserving and I am very proud of each and every member of staff in this unit. I was very fond of Hazel and we were good friends, so to accept this in her memory is absolutely wonderful.”
Mr Nesbitt said attending events such as this is one of the ‘great privileges of my position’.
“Hazel McCalister was a highly experienced midwife whose legacy is being kept alive through these awards,” he said. “It was a pleasure to join with midwives to recognise their incredible work and to mark International Day of the Midwife.”
David Robinson, Trust deputy Chief, said the high number of nominations reflected the standard of care provided across services.
“There was a fantastic number of nominations, highlighting the high standard of care across our services and Amanda is a very worthy winner,” he said.
“Our midwives make such a difference to mums, babies and families every day. If we are serious about giving children the best start in life, we must continue to recognise and celebrate the work that they do.”
Home from Home Unit Ward Manager Lindsay Wright added:
“Anyone who has had Amanda care for them will agree she is a very worthy winner.”
