More Midwives A Must!

The Royal College of Midwives has confirmed that there’s a shortage of midwives and the temporary closure of up to 42per cent of maternity units

17:31 13 October 2015

As NHS comes under increasing pressure, the number of midwives and maternity units are steadily decreasing. According to a report released by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), some 42per cent of maternity units have closed their doors to patients in the past year. The midwives’ union warned that this has a major impact and that mistakes would “almost certainly be made.”

 

A survey of 83 heads of midwifery at NHS trusts confirmed that 33per cent of the units had closed their doors the previous year. The RCM said budget cuts affect the services as remaining midwives struggle to cope with rising birth rate and increasingly complex births.

 

Its chief executive Cathy Warwick said: "All of this shows a system that is creaking at the seams and only able to deliver high quality care through the efforts and dedication of its staff.

 

"When services are operating at or beyond their capacity, safety is compromised and mistakes can, and almost certainly will be made, through no fault of the dedicated staff delivering the service."