NCT Watch

Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, has today announced plans to provide former midwives with a £3,000 ‘golden handshake’ to encourage them to return to work after a break in service as part of a package of measures to recruit an extra 4,000 midwives to the NHS over the next three years.

The DoH is also to launch a Return to Practice campaign in the summer, with incentives including free training, support with childcare and travel costs plus a grant of up to £1,500.

The NCT welcomes the Government’s plans to recruit an extra 4,000 midwives to the NHS over the next three years. Additional resources to attract qualified midwives back to the profession will provide the basis for more continuity of carer, access to real choices, and provision of support and clinical care which is crucial for all families.

The NCT believes all women should have supportive, one to one midwifery care throughout labour and this currently isn’t happening. Investment in extra midwives will go towards addressing this need and will help to keep labour and birth normal. Investment will also help to deliver on the Government’s Maternity Matters objectives and on NICE recommendations, and improve the safety and quality of maternity care overall.

NHS QIS standard 3B2 on routine ultrasound scanning before 24 weeks of pregnancy states that all women should receive two routine antenatal scans, an early dating scan and an anomaly scan. However, not all women in Scotland are currently receiving this standard of care. In response to a written question from Ross Finnie MSP, Shona Robison, the Minister for Public Health announced last week that four of the fourteen NHS boards do not offer a fetal anomaly scan at 18 to 20 weeks as a matter of routine.