Tuesday, 2nd March 2010
Midwives comment on Prime Minister's Commission into
Nursing and Midwifery
Commenting on the publication today of the Prime Minister’s Commission into Nursing and Midwifery – ‘Front Line Care’, Cathy Warwick, General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said:
”The report emphasises the vital role nurses and midwives play in delivering high quality care. It also endorses the direction of current policy for maternity services, and the thinking in other recent publications addressing the future of midwifery, such as ‘Delivering High Quality Midwifery Care’. It also supports the work currently being undertaken towards Midwifery 2020 which will be a specific report about the future of midwifery in the UK.
“I am really pleased that the report recommends that responsibility and accountability for the quality of care should sit squarely on the shoulders of Trust Boards and Senior Managers. It is particularly valuable that the report recommends that Heads of Midwifery (HOMs) should report directly to the Board or at least to the Director of Nursing. The RCM prefers the former. This should reverse the current situation where the HOMs voice is only heard at a low level within organisations. The RCM believes that this has been one of the reasons that maternity services have historically struggled to have their voice heard locally.
“If all women are to receive the highest quality care, innovation in service design and delivery is critical, and we welcome the recommendation that there is a need to encourage and improve the capacity for innovation. Midwives know how a service could be improved; now I hope they will have the sanction and encouragement to do this.
“Similarly the recommendation that all women should have a named midwife endorses UK policy and acknowledges the contribution this should make to ensuring high quality care.
“The need to make the best use of technology is another important recommendation. The RCM talks to midwives around the UK about the challenges they face in delivering high quality care. Midwives say that one of the most significant barriers to this is inappropriate IT systems which take up midwives’ time, but do not enhance care.
“Overall the RCM endorses this report and urges everyone within the health service to act on these important recommendations.”
For more information contact the RCM Press Office on 020 7312 3456
Notes to editors
The Royal College of Midwives is the voice of midwifery. We are the UK’s only trade union and professional organisation led by midwives for midwives. The vast majority of the midwifery profession are our members. The RCM promotes midwifery, quality maternity services and professional standards. We support and represent our members individually and collectively in all four UK countries. We influence on behalf of our members and for the interests of the women and families for which they care. For more information visit the RCM website at www.rcm.org.uk.
