RCM to consult members in Northern Ireland on appetite for industrial action
“If no pay award was implemented, would you be prepared to take industrial action?” That’s one of the questions the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) will ask its members in Northern Ireland next week when it launches a formal consultation on pay. The RCM says its ‘deeply frustrated’ and its ‘completely unfair’ that hardworking midwives […]
RCM urges members in England and Wales to vote YES to industrial action as ballot date announced
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has today launched only its second ballot on industrial action in England and its first in Wales in its 142 year history. The College, which represents most midwives and also maternity support workers (MSWs) in the UK, is calling on its members to vote yes to industrial action over […]
Maternity colleges urge pregnant women to have flu and Covid-19 vaccines this winter
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) are urging all pregnant women and people to have the flu and COVID-19 vaccines to offer themselves and their babies the best protection from the viruses. This comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS offer millions of […]
Midwives in England and Wales to be balloted on industrial action
Midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) working in the NHS in England and Wales are set to be balloted on industrial action. The move was announced by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) at its annual Activists Conference in Warwick today following a consultation with members in both countries. A month-long consultation saw members overwhelmingly […]
Isle of Man maternity strategy needed urgently to improve safety, care and choice for women says RCM
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is today setting out the case for a review of maternity services and the development of a maternity strategy for the Isle of Man. Currently the island has no overarching strategy for maternity care and the island does not have many of the resources – such as consultant midwives […]
Date set to ballot midwives on industrial action in Scotland
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Scotland has today announced the date it will ballot its members on industrial action. The four-week ballot will open on 29 September and run until 27 October. The announcement comes as midwives, maternity support workers (MSWs) and maternity care assistants (MCAs) overwhelmingly rejected the Scottish Government’s pay offer of […]
This is ‘at best foolish and at worst negligent’ says RCM responding to reports of a speech by the Health Secretary
Responding to the Health Secretary’s speech to Policy Exchange, as reported in this morning’s Times, Birte Harlev-Lam, Executive Director Midwife at the Royal College of Midwives, said: “To suggest that maternity services should be deprioritised by the NHS at a time when countless reports have referenced a lack of Government investment and attention is at […]
RCM calls for investment in maternity services as midwife numbers fall in every English region
Midwife numbers have fallen in every English region leading the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) to repeat its call for more investment in maternity services to ensure the safety and quality of care. England has seen midwife numbers plummet by around 600 over the past year on top of an existing and longstanding shortage of […]
Midwives welcome drop in smoking rate among pregnant women
‘Reducing smoking in pregnancy is a key driver in reducing stillbirth rates’ says the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) as it welcomes new figures from NHS England that show a reduction in smoking among pregnant women. The latest figures show midwives and other smoking cessation NHS staff have helped almost 15,000 mums quit smoking over […]
Funding and staffing must underpin Government’s women’s health strategy says RCM
We must see more investment in NHS maternity services and their staff to support improvements to women’s health and to put their care and needs front and centre says the Royal College of Midwives (RCM). This comes as the Government’s first women’s health strategy is published today. The strategy promises improvements for parents suffering the […]