HUNDREDS of people gathered on the steps of York Minster today for a rally in support of ‘exhausted, burned out’ midwives.

They heard of what rally organisers called a ‘national crisis’ in midwifery – with staffing shortages and stress meaning up to 60 per cent of working midwives were thinking of quitting the profession.

Lorraine Dodd, a midwife for 10 years, said the pandemic – when midwives had to keep working throughout – had only added to the strees and pressure. “It is worse than it has ever been,” she said.

“Staff are burned out, exhausted. They are regularly coming in to work to find there aren’t enough staff.”

She said she, and other midwives, had the job of caring for women at one of the most important times of their lives.

“And we feel unable to do that as we would want to do it."

It wasn’t just a York issue, she stressed. “It is a national crisis.”

York Press:

A speaker at today's rally in support of midwives

Anothwer midwife, who wanted to be known only as Jess, pointed out that women hadn’t stopped giving birth just because there was a Covid pandemic raging.

“Pregnancy doesn’t stop!” she said. “And you can’t defer it for six months and put a baby on a waiting list. We haven’t stopped working all through the pandemic – every day, every hour.”

Some midwives contracted Covid themselves, she added. "We’re only human." Others had to take time off to look after family members with Covid – leaving colleagues under more pressure than ever. “So we’re tired.”

Today’s march – actually a vigil on the steps of the Minster – began at 2pm.

A ‘grassroots’ event informally organised by midwives and mums, it was one of several such ‘Marches For Midwives’ events taking place around the country today.

A crowd of more than 200 people gathered at the Minster to listen to speeches and to show their support.

A ‘maternity crisis factsheet’ produced by the national March for Midwives movement, and based on research by organisations such as the Royal College of Midwives and the Quality Care Commission, claims that

  • 60 per cent of UK midwives are planning to quit – many in the next year
  • More than 80 per cent of those planning to leave cite inadequate staffing levels, and 67 per cent say they are unhappy with the quality and safety of care they can provide
  • The RCM (Royal College of Midwives) estimates that the UK is 3,500 midwives short - and that the problem is growing.

Midwives at today's rally said recruitment and midwifery apprenticeships should be urgently stepped up - and that midwifery bursaries should be brought back, so that midwives didn't find themselves stuck with huge debts before they had even started work.

York Central MP Rachael Maskell told the crowd that midwives were ‘on their knees’.

She called for a ‘cheer for midwives’ – and the crowd duly raised their voices as one.

York Press:

Mum Sally Jones with daughter Florence at today's rally

Mum Sally Jones, who lives near Driffield, had brought six-mnth-old baby Florence along with her to show support.

Because she lives in a remote area far from the nearest hospital, she chose a home birth – and she says the midwife who attended saved her life.

The birth itself went smoothly – but she didn’t stop bleeding. She was taken to hospital by ambulance – and her midwife performed a procedure en route, she said.

“I will be forever grateful. Without her there, there would be no me, and my three children wouldn’t have a mum," Sally said. "So I’m just here today to show my appreciation and support.”