New independent maternity working group to oversee Maternity Transformation Programme in England

A new independent maternity working group, one of the key Immediate and Essential Actions (IEAs) from the Ockenden review of maternity safety, has met for the first time. The group, which is co-chaired by Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), and Dr Eddie Morris, President of the Royal College of […]

RCM members in England and Wales to be balloted on industrial action over pay

RCM members working in the NHS in England and Wales are set to be formally balloted on industrial action over pay. This follows a consultation in which RCM members overwhelmingly rejected their governments’ pay awards of £1400 for most Agenda for Change NHS staff. The amount equates to a 4% increase for those at the […]

RCM announces date to ballot members in Scotland on industrial action

All RCM members working in the NHS in Scotland are set to be balloted on industrial action. A statutory ballot will launch on 29 September and run for four weeks until 27 October This follows an indicative survey of midwives, maternity support workers (MSWs) and maternity care assistants (MCAs) in which almost 90 percent of […]

RCM and RCOG cut through food in pregnancy myths in new guide for women

An easy and quick guide for women on healthy eating and vitamin supplements in pregnancy(has been published by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). The guide explains the benefits of health eating for women and their babies. It also addresses the myths around what you should […]

RCM activists secure staff mileage rate increase at Birmingham trust

As petrol prices and the cost of living remain high, RCM activists at Birmingham Women’s NHS Trust have gained an increased mileage rate allowance for staff. Community midwives and maternity support workers using their cars for work at the trust were seeing their income fall as they paid more for rising petrol prices. Yet they […]

New Tommy’s tool aims to reduce pre-term births and stillbirths

A new tool created by Tommy’s aims to reduce pre-term births and stillbirths through improved care of placental dysfunction. The Tommy’s Clinical Decision Tool, produced at the Tommy’s Centre, has been created in collaboration with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), leading universities, and healthcare professionals including […]

RCM and RCOG combine supporting reduction in stillbirths and pre-term births

A study to evaluate a new tool – with input from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the Royal College of Obstetricians –  supporting midwives, obstetricians and other health professionals to reduce stillbirths and pre-term births has been published in the BMC open access journal. It aims to drive a reduction in stillbirth and […]

NIHR to launch new Senior Research Leader Programme for nurses and midwives

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is launching a new Senior Research Leader Programme for nurses and midwives. The three-year programme aims to promote the undiscovered potential of senior nurses and midwives when it comes to research capacity and capability. In a news item on the NIHR website, NIHR Associate Director of Nursing […]

RCM calls for better support for new midwives to improve retention rates

A call for more and better support for newly qualified midwives (NQM) has come from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in a statement today. This support – called preceptorship – aids the move of NQMs into their first job in midwifery. More structured support for NQMs in their first six months leads to more […]

University of Arizona nurse-midwifery speciality receives pre-accreditation

The University of Arizona College of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programme has received pre-accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education for students to become certified nurse-midwives. The pre-accreditation now means students can study towards becoming nurse-midwives through the University of Arizona’s DNP programme. Graduates of the nurse-midwifery speciality will become eligible to […]