| Synopsis: |
Despite an overall increase in the number of midwives there is still a shortage of 2,300 that are required to meet current birth rates. What's more, the Department of Health and NHS England struggled to say who is accountable for ensuring something as fundamental as whether the NHS has enough midwives. Women who have a low risk pregnancy should be able to choose where to give birth, such as in a midwife-led unit. More could be delivered for less money with better results if there were more midwife-led birth centres available. As things stand there is evidence that many maternity services are running at a loss, or at best breaking even, and that the available funding may be insufficient for trusts to employ enough midwives and consultants to provide high quality, safe care. Pressure on staff leads to low morale, and nearly one third of midwives with less than 10 years' work experience are intending to leave the profession within a year. However, this current shortage is compounded by the fact that more than half the obstetric units cannot ensure appropriate consultant cover at all times and evidence suggests the quality of care is worse at weekends.The rate of babies who are stillborn or who die within seven days of birth compares poorly with the other UK nations and some European countries. Furthermore, black and minority ethnic mothers were less positive about the care they received during labour and birth, and the NHS has failed to address persistent inequalities in maternity care |