NHS Faces Midwifery Recruitment Ticking Time Bomb

Figures out today show  more than one third of midwives are approaching retirement age. Answers from the health secretary Shona Robison MSP show the number of students commencing a course in midwifery was 31% lower in 2013 than in 2007.

Women giving birth in Fife could be impacted by the growing crisis in midwifery recruitment. 

Birth rates in Scotland are increasing, against the UK's overall falling trend. 

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Jim Hume MSP says data provided in response to Parliamentary Questions shows that 1,074 midwives in Scotland are aged 51 or over, while just 342 are aged under 30.

Commenting, Mr Hume said:

"We know that we are facing the prospect of major staff shortages across our NHS. In primary care, in hospital consultants and midwifery too.  As more midwives retire, the pressure on remaining staff can only increase. And with the number of students starting courses lower today than it was in 2007, the challenge we face in protecting services is substantial.

"Almost every person in Scotland today will have come into contact with a midwife at some point and Scotland is the only part of the UK where the birth rate is rising. This is not about new  parents expecting their first child this Christmas – it is about protecting the long-term future of these vital services.

"The Royal College of Midwives have already sounded the alarm over the recruitment time-bomb Scotland is facing. SNP Ministers need to act and ensure that these crucial services are getting the investment they need.

"Addressing the challenge we face will start with ensuring that sufficient students have the opportunity to study midwifery."