March with Midwives Leeds

Around 70 protestors joined the Leeds March with Midwives event outside the Town Hall Sunday afternoon. Many midwives, student midwives were there to sound the alarm about the chronic staff shortages and extremely difficult working conditions that midwives were facing due to years of underinvestment and NHS cuts. The Royal College of Midwives reported that

“Midwives are being driven out of the NHS by understaffing and fears they can’t deliver safe care to women in the current system, according to a new survey of its members by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

The College is warning of a ‘midwife exodus’ as it publishes the results of its annual member experiences of work survey. Over half of midwives surveyed said they were considering leaving their job as a midwife with 57% saying they would leave the NHS in the next year.

Of those midwives who either have left or were considering leaving, more than eight out of 10 were concerned about staffing levels and two-thirds were not satisfied with the quality of care they are currently able to deliver.”[1]

It is crucial that midwives link with other groups of health workers taking industrial action to ensure that the NHS is fully funded, staff are paid their true worth and that services are delivered safely for patients.