More Midwives To Save Lives

midwivesonline.com Launch Campaign to Save Lives

15th March 2007

midwivesonline.com

A UK-wide campaign has been launched to save the lives of mothers and babies who are at risk due to a national shortage of midwives.

midwivesonline.com who offer much needed maternity advice for expectant and new parents, and provide information for health professionals, are campaigning on behalf of the mothers and babies whose lives are being lost due to a lack of appropriate care. They are also campaigning on behalf of the thousands of ‘over-stretched’ Midwives and the growing number of recently qualified student midwives who are without jobs. They are inviting people across the country to sign a petition demanding that the government lift the current freeze on NHS midwife vacancies; and increase the number of midwives being trained by 10 000 over the next two years.

This issue is one that is hitting the NHS hard, with negligence payments to women who have been injured during child-birth soaring to £1 billion. Figures released this month by Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt, showed that two thirds of the one hundred highest pay-outs over the last five years were made to women who were injured as a result of substandard maternity care.

A current freeze on NHS midwife vacancies is adding to the problem and forcing student midwives into unemployment when their skills are desperately needed. The NHS has admitted that two-thirds of maternity units are understaffed, or have non-skilled health workers taking on tasks that should be done by a trained midwife.

Catharine Parker- Littler, Founder and Midwifery Director at midwivesonline.com said, "This is an issue that affects everyone, mothers, fathers, children and grandparents because it strikes at the very heart of every family. A lack of midwives is putting the lives of mothers and babies at risk and the statistics clearly show there is a steep rise in the amount of avoidable injuries and deaths during childbirth. This is an unacceptable situation to have in the UK and we want to ask people to sign our petition to get this changed."

Other high level health professionals have also expressed their concern about the gravity of the situation. In 2006, Dame Karlene Davis, the General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives warned the government that mothers and babies were being put at risk by ballooning NHS deficits. She pointed out that a third of hospitals were cutting their budgets for maternity care despite there being a national shortage of 10 000 midwives.

Statistics from CEMACH (Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health) back up these concerns. Their most recent report ‘Why Mothers Die?’ show that from 2000 to 2002, there were 391 deaths associated with pregnancy. Of these deaths, 261 were identified as maternal deaths and more than 50% of these women had some aspect of substandard clinical care. Despite these shocking figures and a rising birth-rate in the UK, there are just 33, 363 midwives registered in the UK, over one thousand less than ten years ago, figures confirmed by the UK Nursing & Midwifery Council.

The next CEMACH report on maternal mortality is due out in December, and it is expected the figures will show a further rise in deaths. Commenting on current statistics for Maternal Deaths, CEMACH’s Chief Executive, Richard Congdon said "Maternal deaths are not falling". CEMACH also said "Whilst for the vast majority of women, childbirth in the UK is a safe experience, there are increasing numbers of pregnancies to women with a higher risk of adverse outcome. Given these significant changes, CEMACH is concerned about the pressures being faced by maternity services and it is important they are resourced to reflect these pressures. CEMACH reports in recent years have identified that we are no longer seeing the steady improvement in maternal and perinatal mortality cases that had once been the case."

midwivesonline.com are taking their campaign to the heart of parliament and lobbying MP’s to give their backing to the petition.

Adding his support, Philip Davies, MP for Shipley, said "We cannot allow such gross negligence on the part of our national healthcare system, which is failing parents during one of their most precious moments. I support the call for more midwives by Midwivesonline.com in order to save lives and reduce trauma during childbirth."

The midwivesonline.com campaign is petitioning the government for the following:

  • Increase the midwives to be trained by 10 000 over the next two years. (5 000 per year in 2007/08 and 2008/09)

  • Remove the freeze on Midwife vacancies throughout the NHS

  • Provide the necessary resources to Heads of Midwifery so that they can significantly increase the numbers of experienced midwives in their maternity units

  • Provide one qualified Midwife to one Mother for the whole of labour

  • Providing every pregnant mum with a ‘named midwife’ and an acceptable level on midwifery contact and care during pregnancy, birth and in the post natal period

To sign the petition, visit the web-site at www.midwivesonline.com