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Celebrate midwives by investing in their pay says RCM on International Day of the Midwife 

on 05 May 2021 Pregnancy IDM - International Day of the Midwife Midwifery Midwives Specialist Midwives Student midwives Global midwifery ICM - International Congress of Midwives RCM RCM Member RCM CEO Maternity Services

Investing in midwives also means investing in their pay, says the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) as the College and its members celebrate International Day of the Midwife (IDM) tomorrow (5 May).  

Echoing the day’s theme, ‘Follow the Data: Invest in Midwives’, the RCM says that this also means valuing their contribution with a decent pay deal. The RCM is calling on the Government to rethink their meagre 1% pay offer for midwives and other NHS staff in England. The call follows an offer of a 4% pay award for most Scottish NHS staff from the Scottish Government. 

Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the RCM, said: “We are seeing additional investment into maternity services and for more midwives in England, and that is very welcome. However, we must also invest in the midwives themselves, and their maternity colleagues, who work around the clock to deliver the safest and best possible care for mothers, babies, and their families. Yet they have faced years of pay freezes and pay stagnation, leaving them worse-off in real terms than a decade ago.” 

IDM is led globally by the International Confederation of Midwives. This year midwives and maternity staff across the UK will be coming together to celebrate at local and regional levels in a range of virtual events. 

Gill Walton added, “The IDM theme is absolutely right. The evidence shows that if you invest in midwives, you save lives. Globally millions of mothers and babies die needlessly because of a lack of skilled midwives and medical care for pregnant women. We are lucky in the UK because we have a world-class maternity service, and one that is getting even better and safer. Now let us show the midwives who work in them that we really value their enormous contribution and dedication by awarding them the substantial pay increase they and their NHS colleagues deserve. Let’s really give them something to celebrate.” 

 

ENDS

To contact the RCM Media Office call 020 7312 3456, or email [email protected].  

Notes to editors 

For more information on the RCM’s International Day of the Midwife celebrations see the RCM IDM page at https://www.rcm.org.uk/international-day-of-the-midwife-2021/.  

See also the International Confederation of Midwives website at https://www.internationalmidwives.org/icm-events/international-day-of-the-midwife-2021.html. 

 

The RCM is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance, and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences, and online resources. For more information visit the RCM website at https://www.rcm.org.uk/. 

 

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