Political party conferences are one of the most important opportunities we have to influence national policy on maternity services.
For three long days, from the first events on Sunday to the last fringe meetings late in the evening, the RCM team has been in every room we could get into. Our aim was simple – to make sure the people shaping the future of the NHS hear what midwives and maternity support workers need.
And it’s clear they’re listening. Throughout conference, Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has repeatedly named maternity as one of her top priorities. With so many competing demands on the NHS, that is a powerful message and it didn’t happen by accident.
It reflects years of midwives and maternity support workers speaking up about the reality of working in maternity services. Your voices have helped push maternity to the top of the health agenda. The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, also used his conference speech to apologise to NHS staff, admitting that politicians had “let you down” and left staff under intolerable pressure.
One moment, in particular, will stay with me. When I met the Health Secretary, she took my hand and we talked about how important it is to support midwives, maternity support workers and midwifery leaders. Our profession has been through an incredibly difficult time and we have all worked so hard to keep giving women the best care we possibly can. I came away feeling that I had been talking to someone who genuinely cares about the impact all of this has had on our profession.
Our job as your RCM is to amplify your voices. That means campaigning on your behalf and making sure those with the power to change things understand what needs to happen
At events across the conference, our message has been consistent – safe staffing is safe care. That means having the right number of midwives and maternity support workers, in the right place, with the right skills to do the jobs we are so proud of.
When services are safely staffed, outcomes for women and babies improve and so do the working lives of the people delivering that care.
Alongside meetings with ministers, MPs and members of the House of Lords, conference gives us a chance to work with other royal colleges, health unions and charities. These conversations matter. They help us share evidence, shape thinking on future policy and find ways to work together so that our collective voice is stronger.
This is a critical moment for maternity services in England and this year’s conference has given us real momentum. We have secured strong visibility and influence on behalf of our members and we’ve made sure maternity stays firmly on the agenda.
Following on from the successes at conference we will be following up on these conversations to make the most of every avenue to influence and turn words into action.
We’ll keep pushing our Safe Staffing = Safe Care campaign for the changes you’ve told us you need. Your voices matter. You are the reason we are in those rooms and we’ll keep you updated along the way.
