The Health Secretary joined midwives, MSWs, students, educators and partners at an RCM reception in London to celebrate International Day of the Midwife.
Around 100 guests from across the UK were welcomed by RCM President Sophie Russell for an evening of celebration.
But one with a clear and urgent message: the Amos and Ockenden recommendations must be transformed into real and lasting change for maternity services.
Wes Streeting opened with a heartfelt tribute to midwives, celebrating the unique and vital role they play in people’s lives.
He said: “There aren’t many jobs where you can go from sharing moments of unbridled joy to unbearable pain in a single shift. It takes a special kind of someone to do that, even more so to respond pitch perfect in both situations. That really is a special gift.”
The Secretary of State also acknowledged the difficulties facing the profession:
He said: “It’s not lost on me that at times you don’t get to care for women and their newborns in either the way you’d like, or in the conditions that you would choose. It can sometimes feel like being unloved, unrewarded and undervalued – too often for my liking. And I know that needs to change. I know I have a particular responsibility for trying to bring about that change.”
He set out the steps the government is taking to transform maternity care, confirming that the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, which he is chairing, with input from RCM Chief Executive Gill Walton and Michelle Welsh MP – is ready to implement the recommendations of the Amos Review.
He also confirmed that, as the government delivers its 10 Year Plan for Health, a new professional strategy for nursing and midwifery is in development to better support and recognise the unique and precious role midwives play in society.
Responding to the RCM student members he met and their calls on the Graduate Guarantee, he said: “No one who dedicates themselves to a career in midwifery should be left in limbo.”
Michelle Welsh MP, Chair of the Maternity All-Party Parliamentary Group, spoke about the progress made and the work still ahead.
She said: “Midwives are there at the most life-changing, vulnerable and powerful moments in people’s lives. And yet, too often, they do not receive the support, respect or recognition they deserve.
“Too many midwives are stretched too far. Too many are working over their hours, missing breaks, dealing with more women than they should. And while that speaks to extraordinary dedication – it is not sustainable. And it does not have to be this way.
“The publication of Baroness Amos’ report, alongside the Nottingham review in June, must be catalysts for action. Safe maternity care is not a luxury. It is a standard and we must not accept anything less.”
This year’s theme for IDM is ‘One Million More Midwives’, backing the International Confederation of Midwives’ Million More campaign, calling on governments around the world to address the shortfall in midwives.
Gill said: “This year’s theme could not be more relevant. With one million more midwives globally, we could prevent two-thirds of maternal deaths, almost two-thirds of newborn deaths, and by 2035, that could mean up to 4.3 million lives saved.
“And it matters here at home too. Good-quality maternity care, through pregnancy, birth and beyond, delivered by the right number of well-educated staff, improves health outcomes not just at birth, but across a lifetime.
“I want this International Day of the Midwife to mark a turning point. Enough is enough. Let this be the year we move from review to action – for every woman to have a midwife able to deliver safe, personalised care and for midwives to end their shift knowing they have provided the high-quality care they were trained for.
“Midwives make the difference.”
