Joint Statement published with detail for midwifery students not in final six months of degree during Coronavirus pandemic

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) have developed a set of emergency standards which allows more flexibility to be applied to the delivery of midwifery programmes during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The objective of doing this is to enable students to make a valuable contribution whilst completing their studies, and to ensure that more junior students are appropriately deployed and adequately supported during this time. 

 The following standards are only in place for the duration of the emergency:

1. For first year midwifery students in all fields:

These students will continue with their midwifery programme. Their clinical placements may be paused, and for the duration of the emergency they will pursue their academic work. Midwifery students may volunteer or undertake paid work in a clinical setting in their spare time, while they maintain their academic study. Volunteering or paid work will not be counted towards the practice hours and experience required to complete their pre-registration course.

2. For all other midwifery students in all fields:

These students will be invited to opt-in to an arrangement where they may spend 80 percent of time in clinical practice, which would be remunerated (and will count towards practice hours as it will be part of the student’s programme), and 20 percent in academic study during this emergency period. 

The RCM along with other trade unions and royal college agree to provide expertise with and on behalf of their memberships to inform the development and implementation of guidance, ensuring individual choice is paramount within the context of emergency measures. Will will also negotiate employment terms and conditions within emergency measures.

For more detail view the joint statement here