By Stuart Bonar, Public Affairs Advisor on 24 September 2021
After a one-year gap because of you-know-what, this autumn sees the return of in-person party conferences. Gone are the speeches delivered over Zoom and calls of “you’re on mute” when someone tries to ask a question; back are lanyard-wearing ...
By Executive Director Midwife Birte Harlev-Lam and Director for Professional Midwifery Dr Mary Ross-Davie on 17 September 2021
On World Patient Safety Day, Executive Director Midwife Birte Harlev-Lam and Director for Professional Midwifery Dr Mary Ross-Davie reflect on what the RCM is doing to support improvements in maternity safety.
By Head of Health and Social Policy, Sean O'Sullivan on 14 September 2021
Planning for the right number of midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) over the coming years will be critical to improving the safety and quality of maternity services. This message is at the heart of evidence that the Royal College ...
By Donna Kirwan on 26 August 2021
Genomics is at the cutting edge of technology and is an exciting and fast-moving science included within the 10-year strategy, the NHS Long Term Plan and more recently, Genome UK. This ground-breaking field can speed up diagnosis and improve ...
By Stuart Bonar, Public Affairs Advisor on 10 August 2021
New midwifery workforce figures from the NHS have given us here at the RCM cause for concern.
Published by NHS Digital on 29 July, they reveal that the number of NHS midwives working in England in May had fallen by almost 300 in just two months. ...
By Jo Tanner, Director of Communications & Engagement on 02 August 2021
Midwives, MSWs, health professionals and scientists deserve our support and respect for all they continue to do during this pandemic. The RCM’s Director of Communications & Engagement, Jo Tanner, sets out why we are standing up to the hate-mongers ...
By Kate Moran, Senior Policy Officer, Maternity Action on 20 July 2021
As any woman who has tried to work out her entitlements to maternity leave and pay will be all too well aware, maternity rights are complex. For women with enhanced entitlements under an occupational scheme such as the NHS one, this becomes even ...
By Sean O'Sullivan, Head of Health and Social Policy on 08 July 2021
The past week has seen the publication of not one, but two, landmark reports into the state of maternity services in England. On Monday, the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee published a report on the safety of maternity services ...
By Lia Brigante, RCM Quality & Standards Advisor and Birte Harlev-Lam RCM Executive Director for Professional Midwifery on 07 July 2021
Several new recommendations from the updated draft 2021 NICE guideline on induction on labour have caused concerns in the midwifery community. In particular, the implication of those recommendations on service provision, midwifery workforce, ...
By Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the RCM and Eddie Morris President at the RCOG on 05 July 2021
How many parents-to-be, when asked about the sex of their baby, answer “we don’t mind as long as it’s healthy”? That’s their hope and the expectation, and indeed, that’s the outcome for the vast majority of parents. Sadly for some, though, complications ...