• Surveys and Polls: A 2022 survey by Royal College of Midwives (RCM) found that 80% of midwives felt their pay did not reflect the demands and responsibilities of their role. This is consistent with broader public support for higher pay for midwives, especially as they face rising workloads and challenges in the NHS.
• General Public Opinion: According to YouGov polling, 60-70% of the public supports the idea of increased pay for healthcare workers, including midwives. This comes in light of the challenges faced by the NHS, such as increasing staff shortages and the emotional and physical toll the job demands.
• NHS Staff Shortages: The UK faces a significant midwifery shortage. The RCM has highlighted that there is a shortfall of over 2,000 midwives in the NHS, contributing to higher workloads and burnout among current staff. This is leading many midwives to call for pay rises as part of a broader strategy to attract and retain staff.
• Workload Concerns: Reports suggest midwives are often looking after too many patients at once. The NHS Pay Review Body reported in 2022 that midwives are feeling the strain from increased caseloads, contributing to fatigue and dissatisfaction with their pay and working conditions.
• Pay Increase Proposals: In the past few years, the NHS has seen incremental pay increases for healthcare workers, including midwives, as part of the annual NHS pay deal. However, many argue these increases have not kept pace with inflation or the growing demands of the job.
• For example, in 2023, the government offered a 5% pay rise to NHS workers, but unions representing midwives, like the RCM, rejected the offer, stating it wasn’t enough to meet their needs.
Patient Confidence and Support: In 2022, 69% of respondents had confidence in antenatal care staff, a decrease from 82% in 2017. For postnatal care, 71% expressed confidence in the midwifery team, down from 73% in 2017.
Access to Early Antenatal Care: In 2023-2024, 63.5% of women attended their first antenatal appointment within 10 weeks of pregnancy. This figure was lower in the most deprived areas (56.9%) compared to the least deprived areas (69.6%).