Newly Qualified Midwives Face Job Shortages in NHS Despite Staffing Needs

Midwives do not lose professional registration immediately if unable to find work, but after three years, they must demonstrate 450 hours of work or complete a return-to-practice course.

During the Covid pandemic, the NHS expanded midwifery training in response to pressures and shortages. The previous Conservative government increased student midwifery places. Training decisions from late 2022 are now resulting in more graduates, but NHS trusts face financial strains leading to recruitment freezes.

Fiona Gibb, director of midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives, stated that trusts are making difficult financial decisions affecting employment. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has linked staffing pressures in maternity units to safety concerns, with nearly half of inspected services requiring improvement or rated inadequate.

Birth rates in England fell from 723,000 in 2010 to 594,677 in 2024. Staffing needs are influenced by increasing complexity in cases, such as diabetes, obesity, or mental health conditions. Baroness Amos is leading a review of NHS maternity services, with interim findings noting workforce shortages.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson stated that no one dedicating to a midwifery career should be left without opportunities, given the need for their skills. The department reported a record number of midwives in the NHS and referenced a 10-Year Workforce Plan for training, recruitment, and retention.

It has funded around 700 additional posts with £8 million, though these are time-limited for 12 months. The Royal College of Midwives noted that the scheme may create short-term jobs without resolving underlying funding issues.

The World Health Organisation states that midwives educated to international standards, including family planning, could prevent more than 80% of maternal deaths, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths. Research links adequate midwifery staffing to safer births, earlier complication detection, and better outcomes.

Midwives provide care throughout pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum, supporting recovery, feeding, and mental health in hospital and community settings.