Every year the Scottish Government sets out how it will spend public money across Scotland. For those of us working in maternity services, this matters.  

It directly affects our pay, our staffing levels, the services we can deliver, and crucially the support available to the families we work with every day. 

As expected this is clearly an election budget and focuses on the four priorities of the current Government: eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency and improving public services. 

But what does that actually mean for you? 

There was a clear commitment in the parliamentary speech to NHS workforce investment. We welcome this. Part of it is already real – the 8% pay uplift over two years that we negotiated through STAC alongside other health unions. That’s money in your pocket. 

But words about training, wellbeing, retention and work-life balance need to translate into actual funding. We’ll be pushing hard for the key recommendations from the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce to be backed with real investment.  

That means access to the development you need, the breaks you’re entitled to and the support to actually thrive at work. 

Beyond that our manifesto is clear: Safe Staffing = Safe Care. We’re calling for a proper workforce plan for maternity services. This is especially urgent now that the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce has been announced and we’ve been invited to take a seat at the table. We’ll be there, speaking for you. 

Scottish members working as MCAs or newly qualified midwives will see no change, remaining in the intermediate tax band. Band 6 midwives and above continue to move to the higher band once reaching top of band 6. 

We’re frustrated when it comes to childcare. There’s still no free childcare for children under three and we will continue to push for this. South of the border many working parents now get free childcare from nine months which makes a significant difference when returning to work.  

We are a workforce that is 99.7% women. This gap in support is unacceptable and an inequitable financial burden. 

What has been announced is breakfast clubs, which will mean that you can drop your child at school an hour early with free supervision 

So what does the budget mean for the NHS we work in?  

There’s increased funding for health boards and universities, which is positive. But when it comes to prevention and community care the investment seems tied mainly to primary care. With £500 million going into care and wellbeing centres, we must push for midwifery to get a foot in the door to retain spaces in the community.  

If you work in Fort William, there’s welcome news: the long-overdue new hospital replacement is finally going ahead. 

We also welcome £126 million for digital transformation. But this has to mean less duplication, not more and systems that actually talk to each other. Critically, midwives need to be involved in shaping that digital landscape so it’s safe, practical, and makes your working life better, not harder. 

Finally, what does this mean for the families we care for?  

This is where some of the most significant changes will be seen. The Scottish Child Payment is going up to £28.20 per week, rising to £40 per week for families with a baby under one.  

There’s also £20 million more for Best Start Grants for low-income families, investment in retrofitting social homes to cut energy costs, more funding to tackle homelessness, and crucially – funding to support women leaving abusive households. 

We know midwifery plays a key role in improving population health. But we can only do that with the right resources to tackle the wider issues families face.  

We welcome the focus to address inequalities, but we’ll keep calling for more investment in midwives to work alongside families who are disadvantaged by their circumstances. 

The RCM will continue pushing at every level to make sure you get the investment and support you need to do your job well and that the families you care for get the support they deserve.