Midwives work additional unpaid hours, union reports

A poll of its members by the Royal College of Midwives union has revealed that midwives and maternity support workers worked 136,834 additional unpaid hours in just one week in order to keep services running safely.

The poll received more than 1,500 responses across England, Scotland and Wales.

The union called the situation unsustainable and grossly unfair. In England alone, RCM members worked an extra 118,181 hours during the week from Monday 4 to Sunday 10 March — an increase of 18% on the same poll undertaken last year.

“Services can’t continue to run on the goodwill of midwives,” said RCM general secretary Gill Walton.

“Aside from the toll that it is taking on our members’ physical and mental health, they are being further demoralised by governments dragging their feet over giving them a pay rise, which is now overdue.”

Walton emphasised that: “Report after report has made a direct connection between staffing levels and safety.”