Motion no: 18
Maternity services are a 24/7 365 day essential element of healthcare that requires the majority of the workforce to be flexible, available, and able to provide regular periods of on-call and respond to emergencies and unplanned care.
Approximately 70% of Midwives work part time and 99.8% of the workforce are women. In Northern Ireland the age profile of midwives is shifting, the number of midwives under the age of 30 has increased substantially with a corresponding increase in the number in their early thirties thanks to increased investment in student numbers. This trend should be welcomed.
However the turnover of midwives continues to raise concerns and the retention and recruitment of midwives is becoming recurring risk across. These risks are adversely impacting on the ability of maternity services to ensure safe and appropriate staffing. One of the key reasons midwives have given for leaving their posts and profession or reducing their hours by requesting part time working, is to reduce costs and improve their ability to access childcare. Many rely on extended family and friends, however the demographics of society have shifted further over the last few decades, meaning this is far less likely to be a viable option for many.
Childcare providers are not always available within tangible distances and their operating hours are in the main restricted to weekday and day hours. Additionally, the costs often consume a significant percentage of wages with Midwives who often have to pay for regular sessions that they cannot use rather than those that meet their shift requirements.
The RCM calls on conference to campaign for increased access and reduced or supported costs for safe and flexible childcare, to enable families to contribute to the maternity and wider healthcare workforce without being forced to live in borderline poverty or give up their profession.
