We are student midwives from across England, and we are facing a deeply concerning reality.

Despite training for one of the most demanding healthcare professions, many newly qualified midwives are unable to find jobs - at a time when maternity services are under increasing pressure and safe staffing levels are critical. 

Midwifery students complete over 2,300 hours of clinical placement, including nights, weekends, and on-call shifts. We provide real care to women and babies throughout our training. We are passionate, committed, and ready to begin our careers in maternity. Yet many of us are now facing the prospect of qualifying without employment.

According to the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), 31% of midwives who qualified last year were unable to secure a job. This means trained professionals are being lost from the workforce while services continue to face significant workforce pressures. Many students who are due to qualify this year have already been told there are no current job prospects. 

At the same time, student midwives in England are graduating with substantial debt. England is now the only UK nation where student midwives must largely fund their training through loans.

• Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland = funded training + bursaries
• England = debt + unpaid clinical work

Many of us graduate with significant debt before even starting our careers.

This creates a system where future midwives are:

• Training in high-pressure clinical environments
• Supporting maternity services throughout their degree
• Graduating with significant financial burden
• And still unable to enter the workforce

This is not just a student issue - it is a maternity safety issue.

We have started the Fund Future Midwives UK campaign, a student-led national movement supported by midwifery students across England. 

🎯 Our Aim
To protect the future of midwifery by campaigning for:

• Safe maternity care
• Fair support for students
• Job opportunities for newly qualified midwives

📢 We Are Calling For

• Guaranteed job opportunities for newly qualified midwives so trained staff can enter the workforce
• Removal of tuition fees for midwifery degrees in England
• A fair and sustainable bursary that reflects the demands of clinical training
• Debt forgiveness or reimbursement for midwives who qualified after the removal of the NHS bursary in 2017, recognising the financial burden placed on those entering an essential public service profession

💜 Why This Matters
Maternity services are under increasing strain, as highlighted in national reviews and workforce discussions. Without enough midwives, the safety and quality of care for mothers and babies is at risk. We are already seeing staff shortages first-hand on every shift. At the same time, newly qualified midwives are unable to take up roles.

This gap cannot continue.

After our successful protest in Parliament Square, London on March 3rd, we are organising further peaceful static protests across the country to raise awareness:

📍 Birmingham — 24 March
📍 Manchester — 13 April
📍 Norwich — 18 April
📍 London — TBC

PLEASE COME ALONG and join us!!

If we don’t support future midwives now, who will care for families tomorrow?

🙌 Who We Are
We are a passionate, student-led team working voluntarily to raise awareness, organise events, and push for meaningful change.

Campaign Team
Safia Saad – Founder & Campaign Lead
Nicola Attridge – Campaign Advisor
Kell McDermott – Social Media Manager
Rosanna Wiseman – Communications Officer

Campaign Administrators:
Sophie Saddington
Alix Morrison
Kate Hey