IMUK response to shortages of midwives. @IMUK2013 @dhgovuk • 5000 qualified midwives registered but not currently working • 20% of newly qualified midwives will not secure a job • 90% of midwives surveyed would work self-employed if insurance was available. • Self-employed midwives urge government for support to find insurance to enable them to work. The UK maternity system is under staffed and over stretched. With a 22% increase in the birth rate the government are struggling to provide enough midwives. Dan Poulter, Health Minister, has said that 5000 student midwives are in training, but The Higher Education Statistics Agency statistics show that 20% of these will not secure employment. The Royal College of Midwives believe this figure to be higher at 31%. Of those that do secure employment only 50% will be able to work full time due to reduced budgets to employ midwives. Compounding this, the NHS is also struggling to retain the midwives they have already in the system. 89% of midwives feel mothers and babies are at risk, according to the recent survey by Daybreak. Evidence from the Royal College of Midwives shows midwives are leaving the NHS due to burn out and inability to provide a safe minimum standard of care. There are currently just under 5000 midwives registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council who are not practicing. Just 170 midwives currently choose to work self-employed because there is no insurance available for care in labour. A recent survey by Independent Midwives UK suggests that 90% of midwives would work self-employed if insurance was available. This would equate to a potential 5000 more midwives working in the UK right now, without the need for costly & lengthy training. “It seems unthinkable that the UK is running with a deficit of 5000 midwives and yet 5000 are qualified but not working due to budget cuts and bad working conditions. If these 5000 midwives were able to work self-employed, not only would they be providing a high standard of service, but the NHS would be supported as the local trusts case-loads would reduce to an acceptable level and improve care for every woman.” explains Erika Thompson, Independent Midwife. There is no insurance policy at present because it is not a commercially appealing project for the insurance companies. It is not because of clinical risk. Independent Midwives’ statistics show that their normal birth rate is 78% compared to NHS 61% and caesarean and instrumental births are half that in the NHS. This is despite 70% of Independent Midwives’ clients having at least one risk factor. The difference is continuity of carer, one to one care and time – a model of care recognised by the government as the gold standard the NHS should strive for. The independent report, The Finley Scott review urged the government to support health care practitioners who were unable to secure insurance. “Independent Midwives UK is working hard to secure an insurance policy and is seeking the support of the government to help break down the barriers facing them in the commercial market. Dan Poulter, Health Minister has expressed his support, but to date a solution has not been found, despite it being an obvious solution to the shortage of midwives in the UK at present.”, says Jacqui Tomkins, Chair of Independent Midwives UK. Independent Midwives UK urges the government to work swiftly with midwives and the insurance market. The evidence is mounting that women and babies are at risk, and midwives are fast leaving the profession. With the option to work self-employed many of these problems could be reduced. This government has the opportunity to support 5000 more midwives returning to work and for providing a high standard of care to every woman.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 20:36:26 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015