Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to take steps to (a) increase the number of midwives recruited into the NHS and (b) help ensure that NHS midwives feel valued, in order to increase retention.

NHS England retain oversight of local workforce plans and are updated on vacancy rates. The Heads of Midwifery and other senior maternity staff meet weekly to discuss staffing and how units are managing. Day-to-day recruitment and retention is carried out at Trust level.

To increase the maternity workforce, in 2022, an additional £127 million has been invested by NHS England into the maternity system to go towards the maternity National Health Service (NHS) workforce and improving neonatal care, including in Knowsley. This is on top of the £95 million invested in 2021, to fund the establishment of posts for 1,200 more midwives and 100 more consultant obstetricians.

The NHS People Plan has been developed to focus on improving the retention of NHS staff by prioritising staff health and wellbeing. £45 million has been invested in 2022/23 to support the continuation of 40 mental health hubs across the country, the Professional Nurse Advocates programme and expanding the NHS Practitioner Health service.