On Wednesday 13 May, Chief Midwifery Officer for England Kate Brintworth, surprised Nancy during her working day at the hospital. The award she was given is one of the highest national accolades for student midwives and the first to be presented.
Nancy Williams Eley, from Castle Acre is a third year midwifery student at Anglia Ruskin University, who is currently undertaking her clinical placement at The QEH. The 21 year old is being recognised for identifying a gap in the birth environment and successfully securing funding to introduce specialised lighting to better support physiological birth, delivering meaningful improvements for women, families and staff across the maternity service.
Introduced nationally in autumn 2025 by the Chief Midwifery Officer and Chief Nursing Officer for England, the Student Excellence Award celebrates student midwives and nurses who go above and beyond expectations in practice, education or their communities, while already demonstrating strong NHS values and leadership behaviours. It is a single level national award assessed through a formal national panel process to ensure consistency and fairness across regions.
Kate Brintworth said: “The Chief Midwifery Officer for England Student Excellence Award recognises the very best of our future midwifery workforce – students who are already making a meaningful difference to women, babies and families, before they have even qualified.
“Nancy is a truly deserving first recipient of this award. As a student, she has transformed the experience of care for women across the maternity service at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital with her commitment and dedication to improving the birth environment. Her initiative, compassion and leadership are an inspiration and it’s a privilege to recognise her efforts today.”
Nancy, who was emotional at being presented this award but keen to get back to her patient whose baby’s arrival was imminent, said: “This is such a shock and a real privilege. As students we give so much of ourselves to the profession so it is great to be recognised.
“Midwifery is such a demanding degree but I feel so well supported here by the team. They have made my time as student happy and the support they have given me has been incredible and make it all worth it. I am really grateful for this award. Thank you so much.”
Michelle Arrowsmith, Executive Managing Director at The QEH, said: “We are incredibly proud of Nancy and the impact she has already made while still in training. This national recognition highlights not only her commitment and innovation, but also the supportive learning environment our teams and university partners work hard to create.”
Dr Louise Jenkins, Head of the School of Midwifery and Community Health at Anglia Ruskin University, said: “ARU is immensely proud that Nancy is the first student midwife in England being recognised for this prestigious award from the Chief Midwifery Officer. Excellence in the care of women, birthing people and their families is at the heart of our teaching, and it is wonderful to see this exemplified by Nancy.”
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