Scottish maternity review must be a catalyst for action, not delay, says RCM
Scotland’s Independent Review of Maternity Services must deliver real change for women, babies and midwives, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has said, after the Scottish Government confirmed the review will get underway after the summer. It will be chaired by Professor Christine McCourt, a leading maternity researcher who brings years of evidence and experience […]
Persistent inequalities in baby deaths must be addressed, says RCM
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has responded to the latest MBRRACE-UK report which shows baby deaths continue to fall across the UK – but persistent inequalities linked to ethnicity and deprivation remain. The report shows that the number of babies who die shortly before, during or after birth has continued to fall across the UK, with the perinatal mortality rate […]
RCM Patron The Princess Royal meets Highland midwives during visit to Raigmore Hospital
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has welcomed a visit by its Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, to the Maternity Unit at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, where she met midwives, maternity teams and families receiving care. The visit recognised the vital role midwives play in supporting women, babies and families across the Highlands and provided an opportunity […]
RCM welcomes Cavell’s new focus on early support for midwives
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has welcomed a new direction from Cavell, the charity supporting midwives and nurses, which will see a greater focus on helping people before financial, emotional and wellbeing challenges reach crisis point. Cavell today unveiled plans to expand its support services over the next three years, with new initiatives aimed at […]
RCM response to Panorama programme about Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
A Panorama programme airing this evening highlights the failures in maternity care at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has responded: “Our heart goes out to the Nottingham families who lost babies and had terrible experiences of their care. We cannot let women and babies suffer avoidable harm in the […]
RCM members in the Isle of Man accept three-year pay deal
Members of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) working for Manx Care have voted overwhelmingly to accept a new three-year pay offer. In the recent consultation, 95.24% of members who responded voted to accept the deal, which has now also been unanimously accepted by all staff side unions following discussions at the MPTC JCNC meeting […]
RCM responds to NMC criminal records checks failure
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has responded to the news that the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) failed over a number of years to properly check criminal records and health declarations for some nurses and midwives joining the register. The NMC failed over a 12-year period to properly assess some criminal record disclosures and health declarations made by nurses and […]
Farewell to a steward extraordinaire: Janett Sneddon retires after 50 years of service to mothers and members
A beloved midwife and RCM steward has retired after more than four decades of dedication to RCM members across Scotland. Janett Sneddon began her NHS career in 1975 as a student midwife at Bangour General Hospital in West Lothian, before spending six years in Leicester – where she also took her first steps as an RCM steward. […]
RCM Cymru brings maternity safety agenda to TUC Congress
RCM Cymru has taken its campaign for safe staffing and cultural competency to TUC Cymru Congress, tabling two motions calling for urgent action on the issues that matter most to midwives and the women they care for. Around 28,000 babies are born in Wales every year. Yet services remain under sustained pressure and too many women – […]
RCM Cymru pays tribute to activist Stacey Keane “who has left an indelible mark” on the organisation
RCM Cymru has paid tribute to Stacey Keane, a much-loved midwife and activist, who has sadly died. Stacey, from Cwm Taf Morgannwg, was at the forefront of the fight for fairness, dignity and justice in the workplace throughout her career. As a former RCM Workplace rep she stood alongside countless members – at the bargaining table, in negotiations and […]