Manchester MP backs midwives

10.00.00am GMT Mon 10th Dec 2007

Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington, John Leech, is backing a motion in parliament calling for the government to boost funding for midwifery services so that women can be supported by the same midwife throughout their pregnancy. The motion, from fellow Lib Dem MP Don Foster, highlights the facts that the number of places for student midwives is falling and that 1 in 3 hospital have cut maternity services due to recent NHS deficits.

The Government has promised more personalised, one-to one maternity care. However, a recent Healthcare Commission survey found that 1 in 4 women had felt worried when left alone by overstretched midwives and medics.

Meanwhile, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has warned that there is an impending crisis in maternity services unless thousands more midwives are recruited. At a time when the birth rate is rising, fewer midwives are being trained and newly qualified midwives are struggling to find jobs because of poor NHS finances, say the RCM.

John Leech MP said:

"This is a worrying picture of the future of maternity services in the NHS. Midwives are highly committed to providing the best possible, but recent cutbacks call into doubt Labours' commitment services for pregnant women. We're currently training people to become midwives but because of the financial instability in the NHS, there simply aren't enough jobs for them. The government must act quickly to resolve the impending crisis."

ENDS