Top midwife hails 'extraordinary' NHS maternity staff

By Julie Griffiths on 25 April 2018 NHS England

NHS England’s head midwife has praised the ‘extraordinary’ role of midwives who have helped with the births of more than 50 million babies over the last seven decades.

In the run-up to the NHS’s 70th birthday, head of maternity, children and young people at NHS England professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent urged young people to consider the ‘uniquely rewarding’ career.

She added that midwives and parents should share their stories, showing support for the profession, which touches the lives of many families across the country.

Jacqueline said: ‘The NHS was set up to deliver care from the cradle to the grave, and midwives are privileged to be part of what is for most a special journey and precious moment in time.

‘Midwifery is a uniquely rewarding profession and I’d like to thank the extraordinary people who have helped the NHS deliver an astonishing 50 million babies over the last 70 years.

‘In the NHS today, women giving birth can expect to have a safer and more personalised maternity care experience, while the average baby born can expect to live into their eighties.’

In March, the health and social care secretary Jeremy Hunt announced a range of measures for England’s maternity services, including a plan to train more than 3000 extra midwives over four years.

The plan begins with 650 more midwives in training next year, and the government will work with key partners such as the RCM to develop new training routes into midwifery, so that talented support workers can develop and move quickly to become registered midwives and help the midwifery profession attract and retain talented staff.