Over 250 midwives needed

Rising birth rates mean that hospitals in the North West are facing a shortage of midwives, according to the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) shows.

According to the RCM 257 midwives are needed to fill the gap in the region.

The figures come just months after the maternity services at the Rochdale Infirmary were withdrawn, next year will also see maternity services at the Fairfield General Hospital removed to make way for a super centre at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

The RCM is now repeating its call for David Cameron to honour his pre-election pledge to recruit more midwives.

Cathy Warwick, general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “This is not just a paper exercise to prove a point. These figures represent real and serious shortages in our maternity services. Each single number is a midwife that should be there caring for women and their babies, but isn’t.

“It is also not just about numbers. Births are also becoming increasingly complex needing more of midwives’ time. The combination of this and the rising birth rate is a dangerous cocktail threatening the safety and quality of maternity care.”

Ms Warwick added: “It means that too many maternity units across England are under-staffed and under-resourced to meet the demands made of them. It leaves me feeling deeply frustrated that we are not seeing any action from this Government to remedy this.”

Leila Williams, Director of the Greater Manchester Children, Young People and Families’ NHS Network : “There is no shortage of midwives in Greater Manchester, as an active recruitment programme has been put in place to support the Making it Better changes. More than fifty additional midwives have been recruited over the last year, with further recruitment taking place in the coming months.”

“These extra midwives, plus the concentration of existing maternity staff in specialist units as part of the Making it Better changes, are helping to ensure that Greater Manchester’s maternity services reach recommended staffing levels, and provide women with one-to-one care in labour.

“Safety is the number one priority for the senior clinicians overseeing these changes, and they take the time to undertake detailed checks which ensure that services are safe. This includes seeking thorough assurances that the appropriate number of doctors, midwives and support staff are all in place.”

“Making it Better has been designed to improve the safety and quality of maternity services across Greater Manchester, and recruitment of doctors, nurses and midwives is an integral part of the programme of change.”