Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings of a recent survey conducted by the Royal College for Midwives, what plans he has to tackle the reasons for a high proportion of newly qualified midwives leaving or never starting in the profession.

The Royal College of Midwives has identified concerns regarding key learning experiences missed during the pandemic, the need for better support for newly qualified midwives and staff shortages.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have provided funding to maternity services for the recruitment of maternity support workers (MSW) and offer enhanced education support to align them with the Health Education England MSW competency, education and career development framework. This will allow providers to achieve their recruitment and retention ambitions through a range of initiatives, such as supporting newly qualified midwives, additional pastoral care to aid retention and the recruitment of midwives from overseas. All staff have access to a comprehensive psychological and emotional support package.

The NHS People Recovery Task Force is developing a framework and interventions to ensure that National Health Service staff are safe and supported during the pandemic. The NHS Retention Programme is also seeking to understand why staff leave, resulting in targeted interventions to support staff to stay whilst keeping them well.