ESNEFT partners
Marie Alexander
Qualifications and training
1997: RMN Dip(HE)
2001: BA(Hons) Health Studies
2011: MSc Advanced Practitioner
2018: Athena Leadership Programme, Kingsfund
September 2022: enrolled on Professional Doctorate with University of Essex.
Marie qualified as a mental health nurse in Ipswich in 1997. She has worked in a number of hospital, community and clinical education roles, including two years with Health Education England in the regional senior nursing team from 2019-2021.
Since March 2022 Marie has been the Associate Chief Nurse for Education and Research at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust with a portfolio that includes all pre and post-registration nurse, midwifery and allied health professional education, advanced clinical practice and the development of clinical academic roles.
Cat Cracknell
Cat began her career as a midwife at Ipswich Hospital in 2015 after training at the University of Bedfordshire. She has specialised in perinatal mental health, low risk midwifery care and community midwifery for families with additional and complex needs.
She has been a Professional Midwifery Advocate since 2018 and has recently taken on the role of Lead Professional Midwifery Advocate across ESNEFT.
Cat has Level 2 and 3 qualifications in Counselling, and is passionate about supporting birthing people and staff, and helping them to understand and maintain their mental health and wellbeing.
Cat is often a guest lecturer and has spoken at conferences. Outside of work, she is a trustee for a charity which supports birth mothers whose children live outside of their care.
Andrea Tuckwell
Andrea has worked in the NHS & the private sector for 28 years. She is dual qualified as a nurse and a midwife and has undertaken post graduate studies to enhance her knowledge, skills, and personal development.
Her professional background includes working as a Ward Sister, Supervisor of Midwives, Professional Midwifery Advocate (PMA), Crisis Pregnancy Counsellor, Birth Trauma Debrief Clinic & Antenatal Team Lead, Maternity Bleep holder, Vaccination hub nurse, Governance/Audit midwife & Maternal Medicine Specialist Midwife.
Andrea remains committed to women’s health is a Specialist Midwifery Sister, supporting pregnant women with underlying complex health conditions and has facilitated learning and additional skill acquisition for midwives in this area.
As a PMA, Andrea has been actively involved in pastoral welfare and engaging in supportive conversations in the workplace. She will use her knowledge and experience in her role as the project Research Co-ordinator to build links between academic and practice colleagues and promote the research throughout the Trust.
