‘Health service short of 4,500 midwives’ - NHS chief exec

NHS chief executive David Nicholson has said there are 4,500 too few midwives in the health service.

He spoke out while giving evidence to the Commons Public Accounts Committee yesterday, during which he also spoke of the dangers of price competition in healthcare.

General secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, Cathy Warwick, said: “Our analysis is that the NHS chief executive is exactly right about the deep and profound shortage of midwives. That is why we were so pleased when David Cameron promised a year ago to recruit an extra 3,000 midwives, a promise that has disappeared without trace. It is notable that David Nicholson is suggesting that even this number would not be adequate - a view supported by the RCM.

“The Prime Minister reminded us only yesterday that the NHS’ budget will be protected by the Coalition, so the time has now come for him to breathe new life into his original promise of recruiting thousands more midwives. The health of hundreds of thousands of mothers and babies each year depend on the NHS employing enough midwives. The RCM would be more than happy to work constructively with the Government to work out an action plan to recruit and retain more midwives over the coming years.”