Released on: 13 November 2013

Half of English regions have cut their spending on maternity services despite the on-going baby boom according to new figures obtained by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM). Other figures also show that only one English region meets the recommended minimum staffing level for midwives.

NCT's CEO Belinda Phipps Said:

“It is shocking to find that just one English region is meeting recommended staffing levels for maternity care and particularly disappointing after the pledges made by the government to increase midwife numbers.

“NCT has been campaigning for years for more midwives. Recent research shows that one in five labouring women were left alone at a time when it worried them. NCT’s report with the NFWI (Support Overdue: Women’s Experiences of Maternity Care) also showed that 88% of women had not met the midwife who cared from during labour and birth.

“It makes no sense that whilst birth rates are rising maternity services are being cut back.” 

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