Five decades of care: RCM member marks 50 years in midwifery
A dedicated midwife and long-standing Royal College of Midwives (RCM) member is celebrating an incredible 50 years in the profession. Dr Marilyn Rogers MBE, who has worked at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust for more than five decades, marked the milestone last month. An active RCM member for over 30 years, Marilyn has also played […]
‘Enough is enough’: Royal College of Midwives calls on Government to take urgent action with safe staffing campaign
Crucial campaign launched at Westminster this week The RCM has set out five clear priorities which will improve maternity safety – and is calling on Health Secretary Wes Streeting to act now The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is calling on the Government to take urgent action to address chronic staffing shortages in maternity services that are putting […]
When staffing isn’t safe, neither is care. Here’s why the RCM is launching our new campaign
Today, the Royal College of Midwives is launching its Safe Staffing = Safe Care campaign in England – demanding policymakers to take urgent action for women and babies. RCM Chief Executive Gill Walton outlines why we’ve launched the campaign and the five important actions from Government. All midwives remember that magical moment when you receive your PIN – and the first time you walk into a ward and into a clinic as a newly qualified midwife. I […]
Royal College of Midwives backs whole-system approach to maternity safety in new national care bundle
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has welcomed a new Maternity Care Bundle published by NHS England, aimed at improving maternity safety, reducing maternal deaths and serious illness, and tackling inequalities in care across England. The RCM was closely involved in the development of the bundle, working alongside NHS England, frontline clinicians, service users, Royal Colleges, regulators, professional bodies and charities. The […]
RCM highlights midwives are ‘exhausted, overstretched and burnt out’
Commenting on a campaign to reduce midwives’ working hours, Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the RCM, said: “Midwives and maternity support workers are facing extreme pressures and as this campaign highlights, they are exhausted, overstretched and working in unsustainable conditions. “The evidence is stark. The Royal College of Midwives’ surveys have shown that 45% of midwives […]
Minimum wage rise highlights need for NHS pay reform, says RCM
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has warned that increases to the National Minimum Wage announced in last week’s Budget underline the urgent need to reform NHS pay bands. Last week’s Budget announced that from April 2026, the National Minimum Wage for workers aged over 21 will rise to £12.71 an hour. While the RCM […]
Royal College of Midwives warns slowdown in midwifery workforce growth risks increasing pressure on maternity services
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has expressed concerns following new figures from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) showing a significant slowdown in growth of the UK’s nursing and midwifery register, driven by a sharp fall in international recruitment and an increase in staff leaving the profession. The latest NMC data, released today (Friday […]
Victory for MSWs in Wales as fairer pay deal delivers long-overdue recognition
On Maternity Support Workers Day, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Cymru is celebrating a long-awaited deal which will bring pay rises for maternity support workers (MSWs) in Wales. Following negotiations through the Welsh Partnership Forum, MSWs and other health care support workers in Wales will now be re-banded from Agenda for Change Band 2 […]
RCM Cymru to champion anti-racism in maternity care at Black History Month event
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Cymru is supporting this year’s TUC Cymru Black History Month event – Celebrating our past and protecting our future – highlighting how midwifery and maternity services are helping to deliver the Welsh Government’s Anti-Racism Action Plan. RCM Cymru Maternity Inclusive chairperson Jamie Morris will take to the stage at […]
Reflections on Baby Loss Awareness Week
As Baby Loss Awareness Week comes to a close, Clare Livingstone, Head of Professional Policy and Practice at the RCM, reflects on what it means to midwives and maternity staff who are impacted. Baby Loss Awareness Week (9-15 October) is a time for reflection, remembrance and compassion. It’s a week when families across the UK […]