Government announces 3,000 more midwifery training places

Over 3,000 places on midwifery training courses are to be created over the next four years in England, in what could be the ‘largest ever’ increase in NHS midwives and maternity staff.

Echoing a similar plan for nurses, which was announced last year, the announcement will see an extra 650 midwifery training places created next year, followed by 1,000 new places for the three subsequent years.

Although the move has been widely welcomed, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said training more midwives was only half of the problem, and reiterated that investment and patience were needed to run the plan successfully.

Gill Walton, chief executive of the RCM, said: “This announcement must be welcomed. It will come as some relief to NHS midwives who have been working incredibly hard, for many years, with increasing demands and inadequate resources. This is the start of a journey that will enable midwives to begin moving to more innovative ways of caring for women. It is also a positive step towards safer services.

“Simply training more midwives is only half of the problem. The other key issue is ensuring that when these midwives qualify they actually get jobs in the NHS. We must get a commitment from the government and trusts to employ them. trusts are going to need an increase in the money they get so they can employ the new midwives. We applaud the announcement but would urge some patience. Until these midwives and maternity support workers are actually working maternity services will continue struggling to provide existing care where the focus is rightly safety first.”

The places announcement will officially be made by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt on 27 Match, as he also will promise mothers that they will be seen by the same midwife throughout labour, pregnancy and birth by 2021. Hunt will say that ‘continuity of carers’ will make ‘maternity care safer’ and ‘potentially save 700 babies' lives a year’.