Three-quarters of NHS midwives think staffing levels unsafe

NHS maternity services are reaching crisis point, with morale at rock bottom and unsafe staffing levels, according to the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

A survey of 1,400 midwives it has carried out found that eight out of 10 respondents (83%) do not believe their NHS trust or board has enough staff to operate a safe service. Forty-two percent reported that half of shifts are understaffed.

The shortages have led to seven out of 10 (71%) respondents considering leaving the profession, the RCM says.

Gill Walton, the union’s chief executive, commented: “These are dedicated professionals caring for women, babies and their families through the enormous pressures of the pandemic. They are being pushed to the edge by the failure of successive governments to invest in maternity services. Maternity staff are exhausted, they’re demoralised and some of them are looking for the door.

"For the safety of every pregnant woman and every baby, this cannot be allowed to continue.”

Government targets set in 2010 to increase the number of midwives by 3,000 have failed to materialise. Instead, the RCM says, many trusts and boards are having to operate a “make do and mend” service that relies on staff working beyond their contracted hours. That overtime is often unpaid, with the RCM’s survey finding that nearly two-thirds (63%) of midwives are working beyond their contracted hours for no additional pay.

https://www.rcm.org.uk/media-releases/2020/november/fears-for-maternity-as-staffing-shortages-hit-safety-and-morale-says-rcm