Nine in 10 midwives say ‘unsafe’ staffing levels impacting care for women and babies

Around three-quarters (72%) of midwives have said staffing levels have felt ‘unsafe’ on more than half of their recent shifts, a survey by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has shown.

The RCM says its latest data lays bare the ‘scale of the safety crisis in NHS maternity services’ – with nine in 10 midwives reporting that unsafe staffing levels are directly affecting the care they can provide to women and babies.

Three-quarters of midwives also reported they have considered leaving the profession in the last year, with staffing levels and safety fears cited as the primary factors.

The findings are based on an RCM survey of 3,523 midwives, maternity support workers and midwifery students across the UK between 1 June and 7 June.

During this week alone, 77% of respondents said their unit was not safely staffed. Over the last month, 72% said staffing felt ‘unsafe on more than half of their shifts’.

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The union has now declared a ‘staffing emergency’.

RCM’s chief membership officer Robbie Turner said: ‘Midwives are not leaving because they no longer care, they are leaving because the system will not let them provide the care they want to give. Three in four considering leaving is not a staffing problem, it is a staffing emergency.

‘Every midwife goes into this profession because they want to provide safe, high-quality care and that is what makes this data so concerning. Safe staffing is a prerequisite for safe care.

‘The hard truth is that the conditions that put women and babies at risk, exhausted staff, inadequate numbers, no time for breaks or training, are still the daily reality for midwives right now, across every part of the UK.’

The news comes amid  several ongoing investigations into maternity services across England, including Nottingham, Sussex, and Leeds – as well as the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, led by Baroness Valerie Amos.

Former health and social care secretary Wes Streeting called for the national investigation in June last year following a series of meetings with bereaved families, to ensure ‘truth, accountability, and urgent improvements to care and safety’.

Mr Turner added: ‘Inquiry after inquiry has told us what needs to change. We need more midwives, we need them paid fairly, and we need action now, not more warm words or empty promises from the government.’

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Alongside staffing concerns, respondents also reported issues with having a good work-life balance.

Almost a third of respondents (30%) reported not having a full 24 consecutive hours free from work during the week surveyed, and 38% said they did not get the 11 hours of uninterrupted rest every 24 hours that working time regulations are meant to guarantee.

Three in four midwives (75%) have left or have considered leaving in the past year and the top reasons were: staffing levels (65%), safety concerns (54%), work-life balance (54%) and the impact on mental health (41%).

When asked what would make them stay or return, 66% said more midwives and maternity support workers, and 61% said increased pay.

Recently, at this year’s Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Congress in Liverpool, midwifery teams shared that they have reportedly been receiving death threats and are concerned the profession is being ‘eroded’ amid ongoing inquiries.

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They shared the emotional toll and anxiety of external reviews, saying they are adding pressure to ‘overstretched’ teams.

Members stressed that, though they are not rejecting scrutiny, the process should be improved, including increased support for staff.

This comes as insiders allegedly indicated the inquiry into Nottingham’s maternity care will outline ‘horrendous failings’, according to The Guardian. It is due to be published this month.