Midwife shortage may be placing mothers and infants at threat, say MPs

The cross-get together group of MPs stated that much more than a quarter of birthing units had to shut to new sufferers for half a day or much more between April and September 2012. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

The safety of pregnant ladies and their babies during childbirth could be currently being put at threat by a lack of NHS funding and a nationwide shortage of 2,300 midwives, a committee of MPs has explained.

In a very essential report on the state of maternity care, the Commons public accounts committee criticised the Department of Overall health and NHS England for becoming unable to clarify who is accountable for ensuring that the NHS has sufficient nursing personnel qualified to deal with childbirth.

Margaret Hodge, who chairs the committee, said: “There is proof that many maternity solutions are working at a loss, or at ideal breaking even, and that the obtainable funding may possibly be insufficient for trusts to make use of sufficient midwives and consultants to provide higher good quality, safe care.”

The report explained: “Strain on personnel leads to low morale and practically one particular third of midwives with less than ten years’ operate expertise are intending to leave the profession within a 12 months. More than half of obstetric units do not utilize adequate consultants to guarantee appropriate cover at all instances.”

The committee was especially disturbed to hear that costs of infection between new mothers, infection to the little one and damage to the child were all greater at weekends.

The MPs said the DoH acknowledged that a seven-day-a-week support was necessary and that it required to operate out how to accomplish this in terms of employment contracts and affordability.

In spite of a new overall payment framework currently being launched for maternity care, the DoH has only “restricted assurance” that the funding is ample to provide key goals, this kind of as continuity of care for females.

The cross-party group of MPs stated that a lot more than a quarter of birthing units had to near to new individuals for half a day or more between April and September 2012, with 1 of the reasons currently being a lack of midwives.

Although several girls had excellent experiences, “performance and outcomes could be a lot far better”, the report said.

Rates of stillbirth and babies dying inside of seven days of birth have been nonetheless larger in England than other Uk nations and there was too much variation in the top quality of care provided by different trusts, MPs found.

Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the National Childbirth Trust, explained the numbers of midwives was only part of the recent issue within maternity companies.

“Numerous issues raised in the report could be addressed with better continuity of care, in which a woman’s care all through her pregnancy is offered by a midwife she is aware of and trusts,” she explained.

Dan Poulter, the overall health minister, said the NHS remained 1 of the safest areas in the planet to give birth and final results located that most females would advocate their maternity care to their pals and family.

Midwife shortage may be placing mothers and infants at threat, say MPs