Midwives leave 'due to overwork'

The South East has a high number of midwife vacancies

A review of midwife staffing levels is under way across Kent, Surrey and Sussex amid findings vacancies are running at 7%.

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said the number of experienced staff leaving was increasing because of low pay, low morale and overwork.

In a report calling for improved pay in 2008, the RCM, said vacancy levels across England and Wales were over 5%.

NHS South East Coast said it welcomed the insight into how midwives felt.

One midwife, Paul Murphy, from Shoreham in Kent, said he took early retirement four months ago after 19 years in the profession.

The birth rate is going up and if more women are having babies, you are going to need more midwives Jeanne Roberts, RCM

He said there were a number of reasons.

"One was the increased pressure of work and lack of staff," he said.

"In my 37.5 hour week I was having to do 50 hours to provide the care that was safe and necessary for the patients.

"It was not just me - it was all the midwives throughout the country as far as I know.

"Inevitably errors will be made with people working under pressure - sickness will go up and people will leave the profession as well."

Staffing review

Jeanne Roberts, South East regional officer for the RCM, said it was true that the numbers entering the profession were higher than those leaving.

But they quickly became disillusioned when they weighed up the workload against pay that compared unfavourably to other professions, such as teaching.

"If you look at the workload, there are still not enough midwives joining," she said.

"Across the country the birth rate is going up and if more women are having babies, you are going to need more midwives."

NHS South East Coast said it was reviewing midwifery staffing levels in Kent, Surrey and Sussex following the government's Maternity Matters guidance which promised mothers more choice over where and how they gave birth.

"We welcome [the RCM's] report and the added insight into how midwives are feeling. We will be looking at it very carefully," said spokeswoman Sue Webb.