‘Every family should leave maternity services whole and healthy’. That is the clear message from the leader of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) as she opened the RCM’s National Conference in Birmingham today. Gill Walton also reminded delegates that ‘the impact your midwifery practice has on women and their families is huge’.

Highlighting staffing shortages and the widely reported effect that has on the delivery of safe maternity care, Gill said: “It is an uncomfortable truth that too many women and families are not receiving the care they deserve because there aren’t enough midwives, maternity support workers and maternity staff. Far too often, there are too few people on shift. You’re stretched too thin, and you don’t feel able to provide the level of care you were trained to give. It’s something we sadly know only too well in maternity services.

“This Government has said that, with its forthcoming 10-year plan for the NHS, it wants to shift the focus from treatment to prevention. Well, where better to start that shift than in maternity services? It is possible to stop the avoidable harm experienced by women and families. But only if this Government – and its counterparts in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man – invests in maternity care.”

Addressing the Government’s commitment to improving maternity services, the RCM’s Chief Executive called out Health Secretary Wes Streeting for postponing a meeting with the RCM this week for the second consecutive time.

“Sadly, we were told last week that the meeting was postponed. For the second time.

These things happen and no-one doubts that Mr Streeting is a very busy man. He’s also a man who said that the crisis in maternity services keeps him awake at night. So, let’s make it third time lucky, Wes, and help you get a decent night’s sleep. Had we met yesterday, I would have told him that every single member of the midwifery community wants to see positive change in maternity services. We want to be able to spend time with women, to answer their questions and to support them to make informed choices about their care. We want to have the time to address the very real issues around perinatal mental health. We want to see every family leave our care whole and happy. We can’t keep kicking the can down the road. The time for action is now. Women and families deserve it. Midwives and maternity support workers deserve it. The wider maternity team deserves it. Society deserves it.”

Focusing on the positives, Gill acknowledged it wasn’t all ‘doom and gloom’ and that there were some green shoots of improvements; “The number of midwives is slowly growing the requirements on midwives and maternity support workers are constantly changing as women definitely need more time from us, listening time.  During last year’s General Election campaign, we called for the right staff, in the right place at the right time, with the right training and education. It’s a call we’ve continued to make, because we know that getting this right could make a massive difference to maternity safety.”

Also drawing attention to vital public health interventions which are made by midwives and MSWs everyday across the UK that undoubtedly have a positive influence on the future health of both mother and baby.

Gill said:

“We all know that one of the best investments in public health is a midwife. Why? Because good midwifery care sets the foundations. It is the front door of the NHS for hundreds of thousands of women, many of whom won’t have had much experience of the NHS before. As maternity support workers and midwives, you can signpost them to support to stop smoking, or manage their weight, or advice about vaccination, or even accessing the right benefits. Any one of these could have a massive impact not just on that woman, or even her baby, but her wider family too. Our members provide comprehensive care throughout pregnancy, labour, birth, and the postpartum period – and that care should receive proper investment. and that care should receive proper investment. If we can get this care right, we have a huge opportunity to change the health trajectory of communities across the UK and in the long run save the NHS millions of pounds.”

ENDS

Interviews available upon request. To contact the RCM Media Office call 020 7312 3456, or email media@rcm.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• The RCM’s Annual Conference takes place at the ICC Birmingham on the 30 April and 1 May 2025.
• The theme of this year’s conference is Stand out speak up: Our midwifery community in action. Read more about that here

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team.  We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance, and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences, and online resources. For more information visit the RCM | A professional organisation and trade union dedicated to serving the whole midwifery team