While we welcome the DHSC’s recent announcement that thousands of new jobs will be unlocked for newly qualified nurses and midwives, we are concerned about how this will be implemented effectively and how support will be guaranteed in practice.
At a local level, we continue to see workforce reductions, recruitment freezes, and cost-saving measures. These already impact staff well-being and retention. These pressures raise serious questions about how newly qualified midwives will be supported when the existing workforce is already stretched and, in many areas, relatively junior.
We recently conducted a survey of midwives-in-training and newly qualified midwives which revealed that securing a job is only one part of the challenge for student midwives. Access to high-quality, comprehensive training — particularly for complex situations, bereavement care, and different birth settings — is essential, yet often lacking. Many qualify without ever attending a home birth.
Support for existing staff is equally critical.
Maternity units frequently fall short in promoting staff wellbeing and enabling safe, sustainable care. Career pathways for experienced midwives who wish to remain in frontline roles are limited, leaving them undervalued. Those in leadership positions often face burnout, bullying, and poor work-life balance.
The DHSC’s announcement is a step in the right direction, but far more needs to be done to ensure midwives at all stages are supported, valued, and able to thrive in their roles.
And if you are a current or trainee midwife who is affected by this news we would like to hear from you. Your experiences and insights are invaluable in our campaigning and advocacy work and help shape our challenges to policymakers and Trusts.
Join us in our calls to the government to introduce a SAFE Maternity Care Act to uphold all women and birthing people’s right to choose where, how, and with whom they want to give birth, and to ensure the state meets its obligation to provide safe, respectful, and accessible care for all.