RCM supports People’s Vote on Brexit

By Rob Dabrowski on 14 June 2018 Brexit Midwife Shortage RCM People's Vote Campaign

The RCM has today (14 June) announced its support of the People’s Vote campaign on Brexit.

The campaign seeks to ensure that the government's Brexit deal is put before the country in a public vote.
 
The RCM believes the economic impact of Brexit will hit the country’s ability to fund improvements in healthcare and to train and recruit not only more midwives, but more frontline NHS staff.
 
Gill Walton, chief executive of the RCM, said: ‘The RCM has today come out in favour of supporting the People’s Vote campaign. We believe it’s important that the people should get the last word on the final Brexit deal.

‘The RCM is concerned of the impact Brexit is already having on midwife numbers. Over the past year, just 33 midwives arrived in the UK from elsewhere in Europe and we used to welcome hundreds every year to work in our national health service.’
 
‘This is a big problem because the NHS is short of thousands of midwives. Our most recent estimate is that, in England, we need the equivalent of around another 3,500 full-time midwives.’ 

She added that Brexit has already ‘choked off’ the supply of midwives and that immigration controls after Brexit will make the situation worse. 

Gill concluded: ‘Much has happened since the vote two years ago, much that may affect our NHS and RCM members and that is why the RCM believes its only fair that we get the chance to decide what Brexit promised will be delivered. 

‘After all, at the end of the day someone has to accept or reject the deal. We believe that that should be everyone in a people’s vote, not a few hundred politicians in Westminster.’

The government has repeatedly spoken out against a public vote, but agreed to give MPs a ‘meaningful’ vote on the Brexit deal.