The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Scotland has launched a safe staffing campaign and manifesto, calling on the Scottish Government to take urgent action to address critical challenges putting women, babies and staff at risk.

Click here to read through the full manifesto.

The manifesto, which was launched in Edinburgh this week, sets out seven clear priorities that the RCM says are essential to ensuring every woman and baby in Scotland receives safe, high-quality maternity care.

The launch comes as data reveals that in the past decade, the midwifery workforce in Scotland has increased by just 7.9% –nearly half the rate of nursing (13.4%) and less than a quarter the rate of doctors (28.4%)

Jaki Lambert, RCM Director for Scotland, said: “Midwives hold the future of a healthy Scotland in their hands. They play a key role in boosting women and communities’ health and giving each baby the best start in life. But without safe staffing our midwives are being stretched beyond breaking point and we’re denying women and babies the comprehensive care they desperately need and deserve.

“We already know what the issues are: not enough staff, not enough resources and not enough of a skill mix. The time for talking is over. This manifesto calls for a funded workforce plan, safe staffing ratios and genuine investment in maternity services.

“Women deserve choice, babies deserve safety and midwives deserve the resources to provide the care they’re trained to give.”
Current workforce shortages are forcing health boards to stand down vital services including home birth and midwifery-led care – limiting women’s choices. Meanwhile, newly qualified midwives struggle to find posts while experienced staff are being pulled from community services to cover acute settings.

At the event, midwives including Hilary Alba, a specialist midwife at the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital, joined RCM members, students, educators and midwifery directors. They shared their experiences of supporting women, babies, and families through life-changing moments and seeing the impact of safe, high-quality care and why these manifesto asks are so import.

The RCM Scotland manifesto calls for:

Safe staffing:

• A national midwifery workforce plan in place by the end of 2026 to ensure the right staff, in the right place, with the right skills, and full implementation by 2031 to ensure no midwifery services are stood down

• Minimum safe staffing ratios established for all care settings

A learning profession:

• A graduate guarantee of a post for every newly qualified midwife in Scotland

• An ‘earn-as-you-learn’ route for maternity care assistants to become midwives

• Full implementation of all Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce recommendations by March 2027

Amplifying midwifery voices:

• A Director of Midwifery in every health and special board, with direct accountability and access to the Executive Nursing Director and the board

• The Chief Midwifery Officer post to be made a permanent, statutory position

• A consultant midwife in every maternity unit by the end of Parliament

Improving health and prevention:

• Maternity inspections to cover community settings, as well as hospitals, within 12 months to ensure the delivery of an integrated care model

• Recruit and educate 200 advanced-educated midwives to meet the needs of today’s families across Scotland by 2031

Our workplace, your birthplace:

• All health boards to meet RCM break space standards within 12 months

• Ensuite provision in every birthing space by end of 2029

• A distinct midwifery uniform by the end of 2026 to make midwives and Maternity Care Assistants clearly identifiable in clinical settings

The RCM says it stands ready to work constructively with the Scottish Government and health boards to deliver the change that is so urgently needed.

Jaki concluded: “Women, babies and maternity staff deserve safe, high-quality services. Families receive amazing care every day, but our midwives and maternity care assistants are at breaking point.

“The future of midwifery and the safety of those we care for must be at the heart of every decision the Scottish Government makes. This manifesto sets out a clear roadmap – now we need the political will and investment to make it happen.”