New survey data from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Cymru has laid bare the scale of the safety crisis in NHS Cymru maternity services – with 94% midwives saying staffing levels directly affect the care they can provide to women and babies.
The findings, from a survey of 219 midwives, maternity support workers and midwifery students in Wales, paint an alarming picture of a workforce on the edge – and lay bare the conditions facing NHS maternity services.
In the week of 1-7 June alone, 79% said their unit was not safely staffed – and over the past month, 68% said staffing felt unsafe on more than half of their shifts.
The data also shows that eight in ten midwives in Wales have considered leaving the profession in the last year, with staffing levels and safety fears cited as the primary factors.
Julie Richards, RCM Cymru Director, said: “Midwives are dedicated professionals who want to deliver the safest possible care for women and families. The fact that so many feel unsafe staffing levels affects the care they can give should be a wake-up call to the Welsh Government and employers alike.”
The survey also found that unpaid overtime has become routine, with 77% working extra unpaid hours in a single working week, with one in five working more than five hours beyond their contracted time for nothing.
A third of respondents (33%) did not have 24 consecutive hours free from work during the week surveyed, and 40% did not get the 11 hours of uninterrupted rest every 24 hours that working time regulations are meant to guarantee.
79% have left or considered leaving in the past year. The top reasons are staffing levels, safety concerns, work-life balance and the impact on mental health.
Julie added: “When midwives are routinely working unpaid overtime, missing breaks and caring for more women than is safe, it is impossible to ignore the impact that has on both staff and the quality of care. Safe staffing is not optional – it is the foundation of safe maternity services.
“These findings show that the pressures facing maternity services have not gone away. Midwives are exhausted, overstretched and too often unable to provide the standard of care they trained to deliver.
“What is urgently needed is action: investment in the workforce, fair pay that helps retain experienced staff, and a commitment to ensuring every woman can receive safe, high-quality maternity care.”
