Midwife Shortages

From the BBC 11th October 2015

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said a shortage of midwives was having a major impact and mistakes would “almost certainly be made”.

From The Guardian August 18 2013

The calculations, by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), suggest that the gap between the number of midwives the NHS in England needs and the number it now has will not be closed until 2026. The shortage is certain to force maternity units to close suddenly and lead to some mothers receiving inadequate care before, during or after giving birth.

From the Daily Mail March 18 2012

Mary Newburn, head of policy research at the NCT, said: ‘There is a major retention problem across the UK but moving staffing provision from midwife-led units into hospital delivery suites is not the answer, and it is certainly not what women want.
‘When community-based, midwife-led units are closed, women often have to travel miles to hospital to have their babies delivered by unknown, stressed staff, which can lead to tension and further complications, including increased intervention.’

From BBC 15th September 2011

Parts of England are facing big midwife shortages, putting mothers and babies at risk, midwives have said.