Staff Profile

Introduction

My background is in midwifery and I have worked in reproductive health care research since 2000.  I have been involved in a number of different projects over that time as a research midwife or senior research associate, but my key interests centre around quality improvement in health care with a specific focus on incorporating the views of patients and health care staff to improve patient experiences.  I have successfully delivered a number of projects funded by bodies such as the AHSN and CRN.

I completed an NIHR Knowledge Mobilisation Fellowship (2013-2016).  The aim of the fellowship was to increase the use of high quality research evidence in maternity care,  particularly in relation to 'post dates' induction of labour, using social marketing as a framework for the project.  This resulted in the development of a shared decision making resource for use between pregnant women and their midwives.  I was also a Knowledge Transfer Associate (2010-2012) on a project supported by Newcastle University and the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which developed a toolkit aimed at incorporating the views of frontline staff and patients in service improvement activities. 

I completed a PhD in 2017 with a thesis titled "A qualitative exploration of the role frontline health workers play in defining the quality of services provided to women experiencing an early miscarriage".  This empirical study used micro-organisational social theory to explore the ways in which frontline health care workers manage issues of suboptimal quality of care and the implications this has for the care of women experiencing miscarriage and, more generally, for quality improvement strategies in the NHS. 

At present I am the North East lead midwife for the MRC/Wellcome funded Human Developmental Biology Resource in the North East.  This is an internationally recognised tissue bank for which I manage clinical activities relating to the resource across a number of study sites.  I also work part time with the NIHR Research Design Service North East North Cumbria as a senior research methodologist and specialist patient public involvement advisor.

In addition to this I am deputy lead of the Knowledge Mobilisation and Implementation Science theme in the NIHR ARC NENC, and a core member of the Newcastle Uteroplacental Tissue bank steering group and the Reproductive Health, Childbirth, Genetics and Neonatal Research Team in Newcastle.  

Qualifications

• 2017, PhD, Faculty of Medical Sciences (Newcastle University)
• 2012, CMI Level 5 Diploma, Leadership and Management (Chartered Management Institute)
  
• 2004, MSc Health Sciences (Newcastle University)
• 1995, BSc (Hons) Midwifery Studies, 2:1 (Northumbria University)
• 1995, Registered Midwife

Previous Posts

• 2019-to date, Senior Research Methodologist/Specialist PPI advisor (NIHR RDS NENC) (part time)
• 2016-2017, Senior Research Associate, Newcastle University (part time)
• 2003-to date, Senior Research Midwife, Newcastle University (part time)
• 2013-2016, NIHR Knowledge Mobilisation Fellow / Senior Research Midwife, Newcastle University (part time)
• 2010-2012, KTP Associate (secondment), Newcastle University/The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• 2000-2003, Research Midwife, Newcastle University
• 1995-2000, Staff Midwife, South Tyneside Health Care Foundation Trust
• 1992-1995, Student Midwife, South Tyneside Health Care Foundation Trust

• Ayuk P, Farnworth A, Rees J, Khunda A, Edmundson D, Raheja V, Ullal A, Ravimohan V, Lu E, Robson SC. Obstetric anal sphincter injuries before and after the introduction of the Episcissors-60: A multi-centre time series analysis. European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 2019, 241, 94-98.
• Farnworth A, Graham R, Haighton CA, Robson S. An exploratory qualitative interview study of the role of high quality research evidence in discussions and decisions about induction of labour. In: British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society (BMFMS) 17th Annual Conference. 2015, London, UK: Wiley.
• Graham R, Embleton N, Farnworth A, Mason K, Rankin J, Robson S. Experiences of Reproductive Loss: the importance of professional discretion in caring for a patient group with diverse views. In: Earle, S; Komaromy, C; Layne, L, ed. Understanding Reproductive Loss: Perspectives on Life, Death and Fertility. Surrey, UK: Ashgate, 2012, pp.205-220.
• Farnworth A, Robson SC, Thomson RG, Burges Watson D, Murtagh MJ. Decision support for women choosing mode of delivery after a previous caesarean section: A developmental study. Patient Education and Counseling 2008, 71(1), 116-124.
• Farnworth A, Pearson PH. Choosing mode of delivery after previous caesarean birth. British Journal of Midwifery 2007, 15(4), 188-194.
• Farnworth A, Pearson PH. Decision making about mode of delivery after a previous caesarean birth: a qualitative study. In: 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology. 2006, Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology: Routledge.
• Farnworth A, Sen DM, Steen IN, Robson SC. A cluster randomized controlled trial of selective consent for the second trimester scan. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2005, 25(S1), S51.
• Farnworth A, Sen D, Steen IN, Wheeler D, Heslop R, Robson SC. [abstract] Maternal anxiety following non-normal results from the second trimester anomaly scan. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology 2004, 22(3), 234.
• Farnworth A, Sen D, Wheeler D, Helsop R, Robson SC. [abstract] No increase in maternal anxiety in selective consent for the 'routine' second trimester ultrasound scan. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology 2003, 21(3), 242-243.
• Farnworth A, Pearson P. Mode of delivery after caesarian: a qualitative investigation. British Journal of Midwifery 2007, 15(3), 159-163.