RCM calls for Northern Ireland maternity strategy to be brought forward without delay
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is supporting calls for urgent action on maternity services in Northern Ireland, after Professor Mary Renfrew, author of a landmark 2024 review, said the opportunity for reform “has been missed.” Nearly two years on, with no maternity strategy in place since 2018, the RCM says mothers, babies and families […]
RCM campaign secures funding from Government for jobs for newly qualified midwives in England
The Royal College of Midwives has also secured a commitment from the Government on safe staffing talks Government funding for conversion of 1,000 jobs for newly qualified midwives A strengthened workforce will help deliver safer care for women and babies Newly qualified midwives in England will have access to an extra 1,000 new roles by the end of 2026 after the RCM secured funding from the Government following a hard-fought campaign. The RCM has been calling on the Government to find a long-term solution to the graduate midwifery […]
The RCM responds to Baroness Amos’ national maternity and neonatal review
Chief Executive Gill Walton responds to today’s publication of Baroness Amos’s national maternity and neonatal review, saying it confirms that chronic understaffing and a decade of under-investment has left midwives unable to consistently deliver safe care for women and babies. Gill said: “Behind this report are families who lost babies, who were not listened to […]
RCM expresses disappointment after graduate midwives denied NHS jobs – despite staffing shortages
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Cymru has expressed disappointment after a number of newly qualified midwives across Wales learnt today they haven’t secured an NHS role – despite ongoing pressures in maternity services. Graduate midwives found out this afternoon if they had been granted a position through the HEIW streamlining process. In previous years, all secured positions, but this year there are fewer jobs available. This is despite maternity services being under pressure, as national reviews continue to highlight the […]
The RCM responds to the Independent Review of Maternity Services at Nottingham University Hospitals
Statement from Gill Walton, Chief Executive, the Royal College of Midwives “Today is first and foremost about the families in Nottingham who were failed at one of the most important moments of their lives. Behind every finding in this report is a family whose lives have been changed forever. “This report exposes more than a decade of leadership and institutional failure. At the heart of that […]
Nine in ten midwives say unsafe staffing levels affects the quality of care for women and babies
New survey data from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has laid bare the scale of the safety crisis in NHS maternity services – with nine in ten midwives saying staffing levels directly affect the care they can provide to women and babies. The findings, from a survey of 3,523 midwives, maternity support workers and midwifery students […]
South Tyneside and Sunderland midwives vote overwhelmingly for strike action
Midwives in South Tyneside and Sunderland have voted overwhelmingly for strike action to prevent being rostered on-call on their days off. In a ballot of impacted members that closed this week, 92 per cent of RCM members voted yes to strike action. The RCM has been in negotiations with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust for more than three years, seeking […]
New statement: Working together for safer maternity care
We have posted this statement on social media in response to comments made on LBC over the weekend. “Women and families deserve safe maternity services provided by midwives, obstetricians and the wider maternity and neonatal team. “RCM members work alongside our medical colleagues to deliver safe, personalised, equitable and evidence-based care. This can only be […]
‘Protect our rest days’ say South Tyneside and Sunderland midwives
Midwives at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust are being reballoted for potential strike action after being instructed to work on call on their days off. Negotiations between the RCM and the Trust have been ongoing since February 2023, aimed at finding a solution to staff maternity services safely without midwives being rostered for on-call shifts on […]
RCM responds to Lord Mann’s review on antisemitism and racism in the NHS
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has responded to a landmark review on antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS. The review, by Lord Mann, the Government’s Independent Adviser on Antisemitism, makes 35 recommendations to tackle discrimination across the health service. The report finds that discrimination is persistent with 11% of Jewish staff […]