Maternity unit mistakes could “almost certainly be made” due to budget cuts

The Royal College of Midwives has warned that as the NHS comes under increasing pressure, more maternity units are closing their doors to patients due to budget cuts and a shortage of 2,600 full-time midwives.

The union said that the shortage of midwives was having a considerable impact and that errors would “almost certainly be made”.

A poll of 83 NHS trust midwifery heads found that 42% of maternity units have closed temporarily in the last year, compared with 33% in the previous year.

According to the RCM, midwives were struggling to cope with budget cuts coinciding with increasingly complex births and a rising birth rate, with shortages in staff affecting England the most.

Cathy Warwick, the RCM’s chief executive, said “All of this shows a system that is creaking at the seams and only able to deliver high quality care through the efforts and dedication of its staff.

“When services are operating at or beyond their capacity, safety is compromised and mistakes can, and almost certainly will be made, through no fault of the dedicated staff delivering the service.”

She added that the government was “letting down women, babies and their families”, and “the staff they purport to value”.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ vice-president for education Dr Clare McKenzie, said the poll results were “extremely worrying”.

She went on to say “Stretched and understaffed maternity services affect the quality and safety of care provided to mothers and babies, and restricts the choices available to women.

“On the whole the UK is a safe place for women to give birth but pressure on maternity services is growing, placing stress on doctors, midwives, managers and patients.”

A spokesperson from the Department of Health said “We’re determined to make sure every mother and baby gets the highest quality care no matter where they live.

“We’ve invested in 1,900 more midwives and 3,600 more health visitors since 2010 and NHS England has commissioned a major independent review of maternity services for women and babies across the country.”

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