In this blog, Julie Richards, Director of RCM Cymru, reflects on the events at the end of February and beginning of March, and the importance of the strength, passion and commitment of the maternity community across Wales at a time when maternity services are in the spotlight.

Last week was a defining moment for maternity care in Wales: A national assessment, a manifesto launch and political engagement. And throughout it all, there has been one strong message from RCM Cymru: Safe staffing cannot wait. 

Our St David’s Day Conference in Swansea brought together midwives, maternity support workers, students and educators from across the country for a day of learning, discussion and connection. The energy in the room was fantastic and the feedback from members, speakers and exhibitors has been overwhelmingly positive. 

Each year we rotate the conference venue across Wales so that as many members as possible can take part. This year’s event really captured the spirit of our community, with lively discussions, informative stalls and posters and plenty of opportunities to share best practice and ideas. 

RCM Deputy Chief Midwife Hannah Leonard opened the conference by celebrating the first year of the RCM’s new strategy, which focuses on improving working conditions, amplifying the midwifery voice and building our community. 

Throughout the day we heard inspiring and practical contributions. Swansea Bay activists shared how they are strengthening branch engagement, offering ideas that will inspire others across Wales. Our Community of Practice session, facilitated by RCM Head of EDI Jane Bekoe, highlighted the importance of inclusion and collaboration in creating supportive workplaces. We were also delighted to host the Welsh-language panel session Mwy na Geiriau (“More than Words”), which explored how we can strengthen the use of Welsh within maternity and neonatal services. 

The conference also provided the perfect opportunity to launch the RCM Cymru manifesto, Safe staffing = safe care: Time for action for women and babies. Alongside RCM Public Affairs Adviser Mike Indian, I was proud to introduce a manifesto that sets out the urgent action needed from the next Welsh Government to address workforce pressures and tackle inequalities in maternity services. 

Importantly, the launch came in the same week as the publication of the Welsh Government’s maternity and neonatal assessment, Paths to Safer Beginnings in Wales. The report highlights the scale of the challenges facing services and reinforces what midwives, maternity support workers and students have been saying for some time: that without safe staffing, safe care cannot be guaranteed. 

The following day we continued those conversations at Plaid Cymru Conference, where RCM Cymru hosted a roundtable discussion on Safer Staffing, Safer Births: Closing the Maternity Gap in Wales. Facilitated by Plaid Cymru health spokesperson Mabon ap Gwynfor, the discussion brought together MSs, candidates and maternity professionals to explore how we turn ambition into action. 

There was strong engagement around the need to properly fund and deliver the Wales Perinatal Workforce Plan and to ensure the recommendations of the national maternity and neonatal assessment are fully implemented. 

For me, the events of last week highlight something incredibly important: the maternity community in Wales is strong, passionate and determined to improve care for women, babies and families. With the right support and investment, I’ve no doubt that we can build the safer, fairer maternity services that Wales needs and deserves.