Ageing midwives struggling to cope with rise in birth rates
- Oct 28, 2015
- EmmaArnold
A new report claims ageing midwives are struggling to cope with the rise in birth rates in women over 40 years old.
The Royal College of Midwives' (RCM) report found the number of women over the age of 40 giving birth has risen from 14,252 in 1999 to 29,010 last year.
Typically, older women giving birth will require more care during labour and so that means more midwives are needed.
PotterReesDolan previously reported how these staffing pressures in midwife units could result in birth injuries in babies and potential clinical negligence claims.
Cathy Warwick, Chief Executive of the RCM, says how although midwife numbers are high, the statistics hide an imbalance whereby the number of midwives in their fifties.
She believes the problem is that these midwives are rapidly nearing retirement and will soon be lost to the service.
Hannah Bottomley, clinical negligence solicitor at PotterReesDolan, said:
It was with a mixture of concern and optimism that I read the comments from Cathy Warwick. I was concerned at the high number of midwives who are approaching retirement and the potential lack of midwives this will leave our services with in coming years, however I was left feeling optimistic by the fact that this potential retirement drain on resources has been recognised now and by those whose opinion in these issues matters.
I unfortunately come across mothers who sadly did not receive the appropriate level of care they required during pregnancy and/or delivery and witness the devastating consequences such lack of appropriate care can have on them and their children.
The RCM's report shows, for the first time ever, the NHS in England employed more than 1,000 midwives in their sixties, with 177 of those ages over 65 or older.
Cathy Warwick states how the demands of the job can push older midwives out with long hours and the physical demands on the body.
She says how women using maternity care in the UK deserve better.
Hannah added:
Here at PotterReesDolan, as specialists in brain injury, we see how it is often through a lack of recognition of problems or simply delays in responding to those problems during key times in pregnancy and delivery that can lead to such significant injuries. A lack of midwives would then only raise the risk to expectant mothers and their babies that things might get missed as the midwife responsible is too busy, seeing to more women then they ought to.
The consequences associated with delays in treatment or recognition of problems are significant for mothers during delivery so any move towards ensuring we continue to have enough midwives to deal with the ever increasing UK birth rate can only be a positive move."