Justin Madders – 2020 Comments on Working Conditions for Midwives

Comments made by Justin Madders, the Shadow Health Minister, on 20 August 2020.

[Commenting on the Royal College of Midwives survey that shows midwives are missing meals and toilet breaks]

This is deeply concerning and shows not only how our amazing midwives go above and beyond every single day but also how they are being let down by a Government that has simply failed to deal with the chronic workforce shortages in the NHS.

We are short of 2,500 midwives in the NHS in England which, against an overall staffing shortfall of over 100,000, is forcing staff to do more and more and putting them under ever increasing strain.

The Government needs to come up with a credible staffing plan otherwise we risk losing many of these dedicated people to burnout.