RCM welcomes Minster’s approval of full backpay for members in Northern Ireland

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has welcomed the approval by Mike Nesbitt, the Health Minister for Northern Ireland, of the full 12 months of back pay owing to RCM members. This means midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) will now receive their 5.5% pay award which will be backdated to 1 April 2024 and […]
RCM publishes results of pay consultation with members in Northern Ireland

Midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) working in the HSC in Northern Ireland have had their say on the overdue 5.5% pay award announced in December. Following a two-week consultation the RCM says 76 percent of its members who voted said the 2024/25 award is acceptable as a step towards addressing the long term pay cuts […]
RCM Wales welcomes rollout of electronic health record and maternity app

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Wales has welcomed an announcement from Welsh Government that electronic health records (EHR) and an app for maternity care will be introduced by March 2026. Maternity services can deliver safer care with the use of digital technology says the RCM as the EHR will enable pregnant women to […]
RCM welcomes long overdue pay award for members in Northern Ireland

A long overdue pay award has finally arrived for midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) in Northern Ireland. In a letter to Health and Social Care unions the Minister for Health Mike Nesbitt has confirmed that RCM members in Northern Ireland will receive a pay rise of 5.5%. The proposed pay award is on par […]
Government pay recommendation ‘not good enough’ says RCM

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has described the Government’s pay recommendation of 2.8% for 2025/26 as ‘not good enough’ and says it won’t meet the expectations of its hard-working members. Furthermore, moving the crucial structural negotiations which formed part of this year’s pay round into 2025/26 runs counter to the Government’s previous commitment of […]
Not once in a generation change, but a change for generations to come: RCM urges Government to be ambitious in its 10-year plan

The Royal College of Midwives has urged the Government to be ambitious for maternity care, as it submits its response to the consultation on the NHS 10-year plan. This, says the College, is an opportunity to reshape maternity services in England for the better, both for the women and families that access them and for […]
Encouraging improvements in maternity services, but still work to do says RCM

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has welcomed the results of a national survey by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which shows that women’s experiences of maternity care are improving in some areas despite the challenges facing services and staff. The RCM says it’s pleased to see an increase in the levels of perinatal mental […]
RCM Wales welcomes re-opening of Neath Port Talbot Hospital Birth Centre
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Wales has welcomed the long awaited re-opening of the Neath Port Talbot Hospital Birth Centre, and the reintroduction of the Swansea Bay Home Birth Service which will give women in the area much greater choice over how they give birth. The Birth Centre closed in September 2021 because […]
RCM responds to Darzi Report
In July 2024, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care commissioned Lord Darzi to conduct an immediate and independent investigation of the NHS. The rapid review was completed in nine weeks and the report was published today (12 September). Commenting on the Darzi Report, Royal College of Midwives Chief Executive Gill Walton said: […]
RCM shines light on issues impacting its members at TUC Congress

A strong RCM delegation made up of midwives, maternity support workers (MSWs) and RCM staff attended the TUC’s Annual Congress in Brighton this week. The RCM used this year’s congress as another opportunity to shine a light on the issues affecting its members, with motions around inclusivity in maternity services, equitable pay for NHS bank […]