General News
29 May, 2026
Sarah Cruickshank is 'Midwife of the Year' for the district
Celebrating excellence in nursing and midwifery across Western NSW
Gilgandra's Sarah Cruickshank has been announced as the Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) Midwife of the Year.
The award was announced at last Tuesday's (May 19) 2026 Nursing and Midwifery Awards in Orange, recognising the outstanding skill, dedication and leadership of nurses, midwives and teams across the western health district.
Sarah is a community and Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Services (AMIHS) midwife based at Gilgandra Multi-Purpose Service.
WNSWLHD said she "is a dedicated and highly respected midwife who goes above and beyond for the women and families in her community".
"As the sole community midwife in her district, she has rebuilt and strengthened local services while continuing to provide personalised, supportive care to each family she works with. Sarah has a natural ability to build trust and adapt her care to suit individual needs, particularly supporting young and first-time mothers to feel confident and capable. Her knowledge, leadership and genuine care for her community make her an invaluable part of the team."
Sarah said she was "completely honoured" to be the recipient of this year’s 2026 WNSWLHD Midwife of Year Award.
"I am extremely proud that, with the support of Dubbo Base Maternity and our local managers, I have been able to help re-establish a midwifery service for all women in Gilgandra, while continuing the AMIHS program," she said.
"I feel very fortunate to work within my own community, caring for women and their families during such an important time in their lives. Being able to provide continuity of care, supporting women with the same midwife throughout their pregnancy and beyond, is both deeply rewarding and a true privilege. I would like to thank WNSWLHD for the acknowledgement and the award."
WNSWLHD executive director quality, clinical safety and nursing, Adrian Fahy, said the awards were an opportunity to celebrate the efforts of exceptional staff while also acknowledging the dedication of the entire nursing and midwifery workforce. “It was a privilege to celebrate this year’s award recipients, each one deserving of the recognition. I also want to commend every nominee and those who earned honourable mentions,” Mr Fahy said.
“Every year I’m impressed with the quality of all our nominations. As usual, it was an incredibly difficult task to select our award recipients, which is testament to the commitment of our workforce. The awards acknowledge the passion, dedication and significant contribution nurses and midwives provide to patients and communities across western NSW. Their tireless efforts are at the heart of the care we provide, whether in hospitals, community health centres, or in the homes of our patients.
“The recipients from our local award categories will now be put forward as nominees for the 2026 NSW Health Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards.”
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The WNSWLHD 2026 Nursing and Midwifery Award recipients in each category are:
• Aboriginal Nurse/Midwife of the Year, Grace Single
• Nursing and Midwifery Leadership Award, Sheirah Brilley
• Judith Meppem - Senior Nurse/Midwife Leader of the Year, Kathy Seward
• Midwife of the Year, Sarah Cruickshank
• New to Practice Midwife of the Year, Erin Bennett
• Nurse of Year, Ann Humphrey
• Pauline Webster-Cox - New to Practice Nurse of the Year, Ayushi Ayushi
• Nurse Practitioner/Transitional Nurse Practitioner Award, Bonnie McCormack
• Team of the Year, Mental Health Intensive Care Unit, Bloomfield Hospital
• Executive Recognition of Excellence, Laurie Aitchison
