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‘The country has voted for change, so let’s work together to change our maternity services for the better,’ says RCM

on 05 July 2024 NHS Staff Staffing Levels Maternity Services Safety Safe high quality care Maternity Safety Midwives Midwifery Women Flexible Working Government Secretary of State for Health

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) today will be writing to the new Secretary for State for Health and Social Care on their first day on the job to ensure improving UK maternity services is top of their agenda. The RCM says action on safety and staffing is urgently needed, not only for those using maternity services, but for the staff that are working in them.

In its letter, the RCM says the challenges facing maternity services are not insurmountable. The RCM has expressed its ambition to work with the Secretary of State at a faster pace than has previously happened: a pace, the College says, that is urgently needed to improve safety and bring about positive and sustainable change to maternity care across the UK.

The RCM has also welcomed Labour’s manifesto commitment to retain and train thousands of more midwives. The RCM has already offered solutions to the midwifery staffing and safety crisis in its pre-election How to Fix It Guides, some of which are low-cost solutions to improve working conditions for midwives, practical examples of how flexible working can work, and suggestions to improve education and student attrition rates.

Commenting, the RCM’s General Secretary and Chief Executive, Gill Walton, said:

“We have all the reviews and evidence we need to start working on bringing about positive change in our maternity services and we know the new Secretary for State for Health and Social Care is committed to using these to make safety and service improvements happen at a faster pace than the previous Government. Fundamental to delivering safety improvements in maternity care is getting the midwifery workforce right and for far too long now it’s been understaffed, and women are not getting the level of quality maternity care they need and deserve. We are seeing a rise in more complex pregnancies with women needing more support. Often that means more midwives and specialist midwives are needed to care for them. That is why the RCM has been calling for the right staff, in the right places with the right education and training.”

Crucial to ensuring we have enough midwives, the RCM says, is retaining the staff we have and ensuring we have a profession that’s fit for the future. In recent years a lack of flexible working opportunities, poor working conditions and delays with staff pay awards have all been the top reasons RCM members have left or are considering leaving the midwifery profession.

Gill added: “We need to retain our skilled and experienced staff not only to provide that care, but also to support the next generation of midwives. We must value them through fair pay and fair working practices, including recognising their personal caring responsibilities. I also hope that in future years, midwives and maternity support workers can get each year's pay rise in their hands from the start of each financial year and not have the whole process drag months beyond the time when it is payable. This has happened repeatedly for far too many years, further eroding the morale of our hardworking midwives and MSWs.”

The RCM says it shares Labour’s ambition to eliminate inequalities in maternity care and that midwives will be fundamental to delivering the Labour manifesto commitment to "set an explicit target to close the Black and Asian maternal mortality gap". All those involved in commissioning and delivering maternity services must work together to address the unacceptable disparity in pregnancy outcomes for those from the global majority and disadvantaged backgrounds, says the RCM. Crucially, maternity services must reflect the needs of both the communities they serve and the staff that work in them.

Calling for an early meeting with the new Secretary of State, they RCM says its position as the largest representative of midwives working in the NHS gives it a unique and realistic understanding of the opportunities for swift progress. It is also well aware of the barriers which have held back change for too long and hopes the new Government will meet and listen to those best placed to advise and offer solutions to improve the state of the UK’s maternity services.

ENDS 

 

For interview requests and to contact the RCM Media Office call 020 7312 3456, or email media@rcm.org.uk  

 

NOTES TO EDITORS  

 

 

 

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team.  We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance, and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences, and online resources. For more information visit the RCM | A professional organisation and trade union dedicated to serving the whole midwifery team.  

 

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team.  We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance, and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences, and online resources. For more information visit the RCM | A professional organisation and trade union dedicated to serving the whole midwifery team.  

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