Ahead of an Oireachtas Health Committee hearing reviewing the National Maternity Strategy 2016-2026, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called for safe midwife staffing that incudes the full roll out of BirthRate Plus to be implemented.
INMO Director of Professional Services, Tony Fitzpatrick said:
Midwives are central to safe, high-quality maternity care. They provide expert, holistic care before, during and after birth, support physiological birth, continuity of care, and improve outcomes and experiences for women and babies. Yet maternity services are under sustained pressure.
Despite rising demand and increasing clinical complexity, the number of whole-time equivalent midwives employed in the public system has declined since 2019. Our members report that safe staffing levels are routinely not achieved, with the recommended midwife-to-birth ratio of 1:29.5 not being met in most services.
It is disappointing that during the period of the current national maternity strategy, that we still only have two midwife-led units. The lack of progress in expanding these units is denying women a full suite of choice when it comes to care options. The next maternity strategy must accelerate midwife-led care through midwife units and post-natal hubs.
Workforce planning must also move beyond short-term annual funding cycles. The absence of a fully funded, multi-annual midwifery and nursing workforce plan has repeatedly undermined implementation of the National Maternity Strategy. New services and pathways have been introduced without the necessary staffing investment, placing further pressure on already overstretched teams. Recruitment alone will not resolve this. Retention is now a critical risk. A large proportion of midwives report considering leaving the profession due to workload, stress and lack of support. If experienced staff continue to leave faster than we can replace them, no reform programme will succeed.
INMO President Caroline Gourley said:
Unsafe staffing in our maternity units is a patient safety issue, a staff wellbeing issue, and a service sustainability issue.
Investment in our maternity workforce is needed urgently. Safe midwife staffing in our hospitals and community services can’t just be a slogan, it needs to be made a reality.