MIDWIFE shortages are having a “stark and sobering” impact on women and highlight the historical failure to invest appropriately in maternity services, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) warned today.

It its latest report, the RCM found that if the number of NHS midwives in England had risen at the same pace as the overall health service workforce since the last general election, there would be no midwife shortage.

Instead there would be 3,100 more midwives in the NHS, rather than having a shortfall of 2,500 full-time staff, it found.

More complex needs, including rising levels of obesity in pregnancy and increases in the number of older women having babies, are increasing demands on maternity services, the report said.

Coupled with a rising birthrate, this means midwifery staffing levels have not kept pace with demands and this is hitting the quality and safety of care, it found.

RCM executive director midwife Birte Harlev-Lam said: “This report lays out the significant challenges facing midwives and their colleagues and what needs to be done to turn this situation around.

“Women and maternity staff deserve nothing less than total commitment from the government to once and for all end this crisis.

“This means giving maternity services the resources needed now, and long into the future.”

The union said that a renewed focus on staff retention was needed, including through more flexible working options, better support for learning and development and tackling poor workplace cultures.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We’ve taken steps to improve the quality of care for mothers and babies within the NHS, including £165 million of additional investment per year to grow the maternity workforce and improve neonatal services.”