Spotlight on perinatal mental health at RCM’s national conference

With more women needing mental health support during pregnancy and in the postnatal period, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is putting perinatal mental health in the spotlight at its 2025 Conference. Delegates from the midwifery community, who are gathering in Birmingham this week, will hear from experts about how to deliver the vital support […]

UK needs to invest in healthy beginnings, RCM tells UK governments  

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is calling on the UK’s four governments to heed the advice of the World Health Organization and invest in healthy beginnings to build hopeful futures. With investment in maternity care across all four UK nations in the doldrums, the RCM is urging politicians to change tack. The RCM has […]

RCM supports midwifery practice recommendations in Sheriff Principal report

Following the tragic death of three babies in Scotland and having considered all the information presented at the recent inquiry a report by Sheriff Principal Aisha Anwar KC has made 11 recommendations for midwifery practice and maternity service delivery. Among the recommendations are reviewing electronic information records to improve alerts for at-risk women, that all […]

RCM responds to announcement that NHSE is to be scrapped

Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement that NHS England is to be scrapped with management of health service returning to Government, the Royal College of Midwives’ (RCM) Chief Executive, Gill Walton, said: “Both the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary have said that abolishing NHS England will put more money into frontline services. Every midwife […]

RCM calls on Government to step up to tackle inequalities in maternity outcomes 

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) this week has used the TUC Women’s Conference as another opportunity to call on the Government to do more to improve the unacceptable maternity outcomes faced by Black and Asian women. Delivering its decolonising midwifery practice and education motion today the RCM called on the TUC to join with […]

RCM welcomes new standards for maternity care in Wales

“New standards for maternity must be the catalyst for safety improvements across all services in Wales.” That’s the message from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) as it welcomes Welsh Government plans to improve maternity services. The new Quality Statement on Maternity and Neonatal care and Perinatal Engagement Framework, unveiled by the Welsh Government today, […]

International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM: A Call to Action for Midwives

On February 6 International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM midwife Jenny Rose Viera writes of her hope that midwifery educators partner with survivors to include more comprehensive training on FGM in midwifery courses and what practicing midwives can do to better support FGM survivors in their care.  Globally, over 200 million girls and women […]

Discussing the RSV vaccine and other vaccinations during pregnancy

As new data is published on the uptake of the RSV vaccine among pregnant women, Clare Livingstone the RCM’s Professional Advisor for Policy and Public Health looks at the role midwives are playing in the rollout of this vaccine  Midwives play a vital role in public health, providing care for women, their babies and families. When it comes […]

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 […]

Maternal care for pregnant migrant women needs radical improvement, says RCM

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is calling for migrant women to receive adequate language support, including translation services, and access to maternity care via multiple routes when they need it. The call comes as MBRRACE-UK published its State of the Nation report on the maternity care recent migrant women receive, which found that just […]