Counting the cost

on 16 September 2024

Heather Bower, the RCM’s Head of Midwifery Education, goes behind the headlines of the College’s State of UK Midwifery Student Finance Report and warns of potential, but avoidable, challenges for the future midwifery workforce 

There has been so much talk of a cost of living crisis over the past few years that it’s almost lost its meaning. For many student midwives, though, we know it’s something of which they are only too aware. Student finance is a major concern for all midwifery students, regardless of the UK country in which they are studying. It is one of the main reasons why students are leaving their course part-way through because they can no longer make ends meet. An RCM survey last year revealed that nearly half of all midwifery students need to work in paid jobs just to stay afloat. This is on top of a full-time course which requires them to work shifts: nights, weekends and bank holidays. 

As a midwifery lecturer at the time English tuition fees were withdrawn, I saw the immediate decline in the number of mature applicants. This trend is now seen across all UK countries, none of which adequately fund healthcare students. Midwifery was always a popular career choice for mature (mainly) women, who often had children of their own. They provide a valuable contribution to the midwifery workforce. Many would-be midwives can no longer afford to give up another career and fund themselves through three years of full-time study without adequate student financial support. 

Melanie Harrington from Northern Ireland, who had the initial idea to create this report, is a mature student herself. She told us: 

“We need to raise awareness of and catalyse change in a financial system that is currently failing midwifery students across the United Kingdom. Students are burning out due to the inadequate financial support available to them, often working upwards of 60-70 hours per week inclusive of full-time placement, study and paid work just to stay afloat. Financial support must be improved to relieve this overwhelming burden, supporting our dedicated students to enter the midwifery workforce upon completion of their studies feeling energised, inspired and pouring from a full cup.” 

Regardless of which UK country midwifery students are studying in, the financial support available simply isn’t enough to help them make ends meet. Just stating this, though, isn’t enough. To get politicians and policy-makers to listen and take action, we have to provide the evidence – and that’s exactly what we’ve done.  

In our State of UK Midwifery Student Finance report, we highlight the inadequacies for all students as well as the differences between countries. Our message is clear: midwifery students need proper financial support or they will leave. And unless we solve this student attrition issue, we will see a deepening of the midwifery workforce crisis. 

We surveyed students to understand their experience. They told us that the majority of students are worried that they may have to drop out of their course because of financial worries. Almost everyone knew someone who had already done so. These are our future midwifes: we should be investing in them, not causing them to be so financially stressed and burnt out that they leave before they even start.  

In this report – which follows on from the State of Midwifery Education report we published last year – sets out a really clear path for politicians and policy-makers to follow: 

• Maintenance loans for student midwives that would be forgiven after three years of service in the NHS, specific to the country in which they studied. 

• Financial support that increases by inflation. 

• Benefit entitlements should be preserved, so that the vocational burden is not borne by the whole family. 

• The cost of student placements, which can involve high travel costs, is reimbursed promptly. 

• Abolition of tuition fees for student midwives in England, bringing it in line with the other nations. 

We believe this isn’t much to ask to ensure that tomorrow’s midwives get the financial support they need today.