Midwives struggle with jobs drought

A survey of 463 newly-qualified midwives and 186 final-year students found 52 per cent “strongly agreed” they were finding it difficult to get a job as a midwife.

Almost three-quarters (74 per cent) said there were not enough vacancies for the number of midwives seeking jobs.

Some 64 per cent were finding it difficult to get a job in a part of the country they wanted.

Of those yet to find a job, 62 per cent said they were not optimistic about finding a midwife role, according to the poll for the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

More than a third of those surveyed (38 per cent) “strongly disagreed” there were enough midwifery vacancies for the number of midwives seeking employment.

Prime Minister David Cameron promised before the last general election that the Tories would increase the number of midwives by 3,000.

Writing in The Sun newspaper, he said midwives were “overworked and demoralised”.

The latest NHS workforce figures show the number of midwives working the equivalent of full-time has risen by just over 500 in one year.

In July 2010, there were 20,059 midwives working full-time equivalent, rising to 20,607 in July this year.

A second RCM survey of 763 student midwives published today found 73 per cent expected to be in debt at the end of their midwifery course.

Of student midwives who had left a course, 35 per cent had done so due to financial burden.

Many students also said they were being used to plug holes caused by staff shortages.

RCN general secretary, Cathy Warwick, said: “Morale amongst student midwives is plummeting because of their accumulated debts and uncertainty about getting a job after graduating.

“We have a demographic time bomb, with an ageing midwifery population and with many midwives nearing retirement.

“We need to be nurturing and grooming the next generation.”