Situation in Israel-Gaza
Like the rest of the world, the RCM is deeply saddened by the escalating situation in Israel and Gaza. Midwives and other healthcare workers continue to work tirelessly to support women and children, who yet again have become the victims of a situation not of their making. We continue to support the work of the […]
Responding to The Maternity Safety Alliance’s call for a public, statutory inquiry into maternity safety in England, Birte Harlev-Lam, Executive Director Midwife at the Royal College of Midwives, said: “The Royal College of Midwives shares the frustration of the Maternity Safety Alliance at the pace of progress in maternity safety. We have consistently highlighted where […]
RCM learning rep scoops TUC award
A midwife and RCM learning representative has won a TUC award for her work supporting members at the TUC Congress Awards ceremony on 10 September. Afshan Ali received the TUC Union Learning Rep Award for making sure that all the learning needs of all those in the South Tees Trust Branch are taken into consideration. […]
Degree apprenticeships show promise of building the next generation of midwives
A new route into midwifery has been praised by an independent report. The report, commissioned by NHS England and the Royal College of Midwives and written by Professor Richard Griffin of King’s College London, found that registered midwifery degree apprenticeships (RMDAs) found it improved accessibility and workforce retention. The evaluation found that there were significantly […]
RCM calls for end to unpaid overtime in TUC Congress motion
RCM calls for end to unpaid overtime in TUC Congress motion The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has called on the Government to end unpaid overtime in the NHS. Speaking to the motion, RCM workplace representative Toni Wood told the TUC Congress in Liverpool that midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) across England give 100,000 […]
NHS England moves to offer better wellbeing support and assess staffing levels welcome says RCM
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has welcomed a move by NHS England (NHSE) to improve support around burnout and stress for maternity and neonatal staff. This latest move is a part of the Three year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services published in March. NHSE has also committed to looking afresh at maternity […]
RCM call for government to ensure maternity is key plank of women’s health strategy
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has called on the Government to ensure that maternity care is central to its women’s health strategy, following the announcement last week of several new measures aimed at improving women’s health. Among the measures announced were the development of a new AI tool to identify early risks in maternity […]
RCM expresses concern at ‘huge drop’ in number of applications to study midwifery
RCM expresses concern at ‘huge drop’ in number of applications to study midwifery The number of students applying to study midwifery in the UK has dropped by a fifth, according to the latest UCAS figures, raising concerns about future workforce planning. Although student numbers are still around pre-pandemic levels, there continues to be a year-on-year […]
RCM calls for better support for disabled NHS staff in TUC motion
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) says a change is needed urgently in how funds for reasonable adjustments for disabled NHS staff are allocated at Trust level. In a motion – presented by RCM activist Mandi Masters – to the TUC Disabled Workers Conference today, the RCM is calling for all NHS Trusts to have central funds […]
Maternity team call-out for NHS staff feedback on impact of staff baby loss policy
A Trust in Birmingham is asking for feedback from NHS staff who may have benefited from a policy to support staff after pregnancy loss that they introduced and pioneered two years ago. The work at Birmingham Women and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust was led by RCM workplace representative Janet Ballintine, other Trade Unions and the Trust’s Chief People Officer, Raffaela […]