Midwife exodus likely as maternity staffing crisis grows

A new Royal College of Midwives survey has shown that midwives are being driven out of the NHS by understaffing and fears they can’t deliver safe care to women in the current system.

The ECM is warning of a ‘midwife exodus’ as over half of midwives surveyed said they were considering leaving their job as a midwife with 57 per cent saying they would leave the NHS in the next year. Of those midwives who either have left or were considering leaving, more than eight out of 10 were concerned about staffing levels and two-thirds were not satisfied with the quality of care they are currently able to deliver.

The college highlights how the highest level of dissatisfaction among those surveyed came from midwives who had only worked for five years or less in the NHS. Senior midwives say that this will have a significantly detrimental impact on workforce planning and the ability of maternity services across the country to provide acceptable levels of safe, quality care.

Gill Walton, RCM chief executive, said: “Every midwife and maternity support worker goes to work to provide safe, quality care. That so many feel that understaffing means they are unable to do so is deeply worrying. What these numbers suggest is a midwife exodus, which will leave already-struggling services on their knees. Quite rightly, there is a strong focus on improving maternity safety, but there is a risk that the government is ignoring the essential ingredient to that: having the right staff, in the right place.

“Investment and programmes to improve safety in maternity services hang in the balance here, because without adequate numbers of staff with are fighting a losing battle. Every safety report cites understaffing as an issue that is comprising the delivery of safe care, but when are the government going to take note? We are calling on the government to listen to those best advised and work with us to improve retention and recruitment. All NHS organisations must urgently review their maternity staffing levels using a recognised workforce planning tool to ensure staffing reflects the workload.”