National Breastfeeding Week
By Clare Livingstone, Professional Policy Advisor on 27 June 2022 NHS MSWs – Maternity Support Workers NHS Unions Trade Unions Breastfeeding For National Breastfeeding Week (27 June to 3 July) the Royal College of Midwives (RCM)’s Professional Policy Advisor Clare Livingstone shares the importance of supporting women to breastfeed in the workplace. I would like […]
RCM Student Midwifery Forum launches midwifery societies poster competition
The Royal College of Midwives Student Midwifery Forum (SMF) has launched a competition inviting Midwifery Societies to submit abstracts that can be turned into a poster or infographic. The theme of this year’s RCM Annual Conference is ‘Recover, Reflect, Renew’. Midwifery Societies who wish to enter are asked to create an abstract that can be […]
Calling members to ask MPs to sign Early Day Motion 199 on NHS pay
Today the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) calls on its members, midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) along with students and general public to support the pay campaign, contact their local MPs and ask them to sign Early Day Motion (EDM) 199 – which calls for a decent pay rise for NHS staff, including midwives […]
More flexible working will support staff retention says RCM
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is encouraging more flexible working to support better retention of midwives and maternity support workers (MSW). The RCM statement comes as the NHS Staff Council publish new guidance on flexible working for NHS line managers and staff. New flexible working rules for the NHS were introduced in September 2021. […]
There is power in a union and professional body
By Lynn Collins, Director of Field Services on 24 June 2022 NHS MSWs – Maternity Support Workers NHS Unions Trade Unions TUC As the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) strikes continue to capture media and public attention, Google searches for ‘join a union’ rises 184% and public sector workers put the […]
Closing disparities in maternity care through doula certification in Connecticut, US
The US state of Connecticut is creating a certification programme to make doula care more accessible in a bid to close the gap in maternity care disparities for Black women. In Connecticut, Black women are 2.6 times more likely to die within six weeks following childbirth than White women. A person with state doula certification […]
RCM responds to mileage rate increase for members in Northern Ireland
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Northern Ireland says today’s confirmation of a mileage rate increase for midwives will provide some relief to the cost-of-living pressures. Health Minster Robin Swann announced that the increase will apply to all work-related car travel by Agenda for Change (AfC) staff, including Trust employed community midwives. Currently, rates […]
Midwives welcome increased parental leave payments in New Zealand
Midwives in New Zealand have welcomed the $40 a week increase in parental leave payments announced by the government. The increase will come into effect from 1 July 2022, which means the weekly rate of paid maximum parental leave will be increasing to $661.12, a 6.3% increase before tax. Parents who are self-employed will also […]
MIDIRS Midwifery Digest Hot Topic: Why are some voices not heard? Exploring how maternity care can be improved for women with limited English
Abstract There is a robust body of evidence, accumulated over the decades, which shows that limited English proficiency is a key factor associated with poorer maternal and neonatal outcomes. Our work as midwives and researchers has led us to believe that this is a complex, multi-dimensional issue, which we will explore in this article. We […]
The dad-shaped hole in NHS maternity services
By Dr Jeremy Davies, Head of Communications and Impact, Fatherhood Institute on 19 June 2022 NHS MSWs – Maternity Support Workers Expectant fathers Becoming a father is the biggest physical and emotional challenge most men will ever experience. It can be the making of us – and how we respond to it can also be […]