The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has warned that midwifery has been overlooked again after the profession was left out of a major Government announcement aimed at widening access to healthcare careers.
The Health Secretary has announced a series of measures to break down barriers into healthcare for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including 2,000 new nursing apprenticeships and support for 2,000 young people to apply to medical school. But midwifery was not included.
Fiona Gibb, Director of Midwifery at the RCM, said: “We would normally welcome any investment that opens up healthcare careers but midwifery cannot keep being left out of these conversations. Widening access to midwifery is not just a matter of fairness – it is essential to building the workforce the NHS needs.
“Without investment in workforce planning, widening access risks creating a pipeline with nowhere to go – a concern the RCM has already raised across the UK, where newly qualified midwives are facing job uncertainty this summer.”
The RCM has championed the Registered Midwifery Degree Apprenticeship (RMDA) as a proven route into the profession. An independent evaluation commissioned by NHS England and the RCM found attrition rates were almost zero, compared to 13% on the traditional degree route and the programme actively supported diversity, attracting mature candidates, those with caring responsibilities and people from non-white backgrounds.
Fiona added: “The case for investing in midwifery apprenticeships could not be clearer. The evidence is there, the will among midwives and trusts is there and the need has never been greater. Yet once again, midwifery has been overlooked. We will not stop pressing for the maternity workforce to get the investment it so urgently needs.”
The previous government set a target of 5% of all midwifery entrants coming through the apprenticeship route by 2028. The current Government has yet to commit to that target or confirm funding for trusts to release maternity support workers to study.
The RCM’s Safe Staffing = Safe Care campaign is calling on the Government to take urgent action to tackle chronic staffing shortages across maternity services.
More information on midwifery apprenticeships is available at rcm.org.uk/apprenticeships.
