The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has driven the issue of newly qualified midwives (NQMs) job crisis to the heart of national political debate, following a high-profile discussion in the House of Lords this week. 

The debate saw the Government claim there is no staffing shortfall in midwifery, but rather a “misalignment” between available roles and demand from newly qualified midwives. 

But the RCM has powerfully challenged this claim – and has now taken a ‘Graduate Guarantee’ blueprint straight to Parliament. 

The College has shared its ‘genuine Graduate Guarantee’ with almost 100 MPs and members of the House of Lords, ensuring policymakers can’t ignore both the scale of the problem and the clear route to fixing it. 

The RCM’s Graduate Guarantee would: 

• Guarantee substantive Band 5 roles for all newly qualified midwives within six months of graduation  

• Deliver multi-year, recurrent funding, ending short-term fixes and providing long-term stability  

• Comprehensive workforce planning: Long-term workforce planning and better alignment between universities and health sectors enables commissioned places where needed, also thinking about the position in devolved nations. 

In February, the RCM highlighted in the national media the experiences of NQMs being unable to find jobs, with figures showing that 31% have been unable to secure employment. This is despite there being staff shortages on maternity units across the UK, as highlighted in the RCM’s Safe Staffing = Safe Care campaign. 

The figures also showed that 61% of those seeking work are not employed at all, with some leaving the profession entirely. 

Gill Walton, RCM Chief Executive, said: “These figures show that this is more than a simple ‘misalignment’, it’s a system crying out for more staff, and one that is turning its back on the very professionals it has educated and supported to join the workforce. 

“We’ve said from the very start that the current ‘Graduate Guarantee’ is falling short. Rather than creating new jobs, it has relied on re-banding existing roles, offered only short-term funding and failed to deliver consistent opportunities across the country – leaving too many newly qualified midwives without a clear pathway into the NHS. 

“We’re putting a clear solution on the table and are determined to turn this momentum into meaningful action. 

“This progress is a direct result of members speaking up, and we’re so thankful to students who have shared their experiences with us. That collective voice is shaping media coverage, influencing Parliament and driving change. We won’t stop until we get results.” 

The Government announced its Graduate Guarantee in August last year, promising £8 million investment, but the RCM has set out clear guidance why it needs changing: 

• It didn’t create new posts: The £8 million investment was used to re‑band existing maternity support worker roles into Band 5 posts, reclassifying existing expenditure rather than creating new funding. The intervention was not sized to the number of graduating midwives or projected NQM supply. 

• There was no baseline or evaluation to assess impact: In June 2025, the Government confirmed it did not hold data on the number of midwives graduating in England or Wales or how many secure NHS employment. UCAS acceptance data was cited instead, but this does not account for attrition during training. 

• The investment was time limited: An £8 million, one‑year allocation is not a structural solution. Without sustained, multi‑year funding linked to graduate numbers, the workforce supply–demand mismatch will continue. 

The RCM will continue to work with MPs and peers, including pushing for further debates in the new parliamentary session and using key moments such as International Day of the Midwife to keep the pressure on. 

Gill added: “This is a pivotal moment and we will continue to lead the way to ensure newly qualified midwives are not just trained but given the opportunity to care, support and make a difference where they are needed most. 

“This is about more than jobs – it’s about the future of safe, sustainable maternity care.”