The recent RCM survey shed light on just how many midwifery graduates are worried about securing employment and although the current situation is deeply concerning, we want to be clear: the need for midwives has not gone away. Fiona Gibb talks through what the RCM is doing to help.

‘There will be consequences for Chairs and Trust boards for maternity failures.’ That was the message from the Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, as he addressed a room full of NHS leaders today. At a first-of-its-kind summit on maternity and neonatal safety hosted by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) as part of its work with the Progress in Partnership group, the Health Secretary pulled no punches as he described how he plans to tackle the maternity safety crisis in England.