I am a final-year student midwife, just weeks away from qualification. Like many of my peers, I’ve devoted years of study, placement, and emotional labour to prepare for this vital profession. But instead of hope and excitement, I’m now facing something I never expected, unemployment.

Across the UK, newly qualified midwives (NQMs) are finding there are no guaranteed Band 5 jobs or preceptorships, despite a well-documented shortage of midwives within maternity services. This is leaving passionate, trained professionals in limbo, unable to maintain the skills we’ve worked so hard to build, and unable to begin the careers we’ve sacrificed so much for.

Many of us undertook this degree with the understanding that midwifery offered job security and a clear path into the NHS. Instead, we’re graduating into debt, uncertainty, and a system that seems to have no place for us.

Why this matters:

A preceptorship is not a luxury , it is a critical step in ensuring a safe and confident transition from student to registered midwife. It offers structured support, supervision, and hands-on learning during the first months of practice. Without it, newly qualified midwives struggle to consolidate their training, develop clinical judgment, and meet the standards required to progress into Band 6 roles.

When preceptorships and Band 5 jobs are unavailable, the NHS loses not just staff, but future leadership, continuity of care, and quality outcomes for families. It is both a workforce issue and a patient safety concern.

We’re calling on NHS leaders, policymakers, and the UK Government to:

• Guarantee preceptorship placements for all newly qualified midwives
• Ensure fair access to Band 5 roles across all NHS Trusts
• Invest in long-term workforce planning that values and retains UK-trained midwives. 

We are ready to work. We are ready to care. But we need the system to meet us halfway.

Please sign this petition to support newly qualified midwives and help secure the future of safe, compassionate maternity care across the UK.