The Royal College of Midwives (RCM)

Happy Hanukkah! May this festival of lights bring warmth, joy and peace as we celebrate your dedication and the light you bring to those around you as midwives and MSWs. Wishing you happiness, rest and moments of togetherness this Hanukkah.

This Christmas we celebrate your dedication, compassion and the incredible impact you have as midwives and MSWs. Wishing you rest, joy and time with loved ones this festive season, thank you for all you do to support families and communities.

Maternal care for pregnant migrant women needs radical improvement, says RCM in response to MBRRACE-UK's newly published State of the Nation report. We are calling for migrant women to receive adequate language support, including translation services, and access to maternity care via multiple routes when they need it. Read more: https://buff.ly/3ONX9Js

‘Urgent action needed to improve maternity outcomes for women and babies’ says the RCM in response to the analysis by the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London who reviewed data released between 2022 and 2024. Read more: https://buff.ly/41wx9cV

As this year's #16Days comes to a close, today we published a guest blog from Nicole Jacobs on her role as Domestic Abuse Commissioner and the impact that midwives can have as the first point of contact for pregnant people. Read more: https://buff.ly/3OP3Xqk

Stand out speak up: Our midwifery community in action. Join us in Birmingham, 30 April-1 May 2025 for the event of the midwifery and maternity calendar! Learn more and book your ticket: https://buff.ly/4a3bRo3

Last week we sent out renewal letters to all members. As we know times are tough, we are keeping our fees at 2024 levels. Contact RCM Connect if you have any questions about the renewal process.

Babies being born in England today can expect to live into the next century. Getting maternity care right is vital to help get them off to the best, healthiest start. But because maternity care doesn’t do waiting lists (newborns tend to ignore them) there is a risk that today’s announcement that the Government will laser-focus on waiting times will deprioritise not just maternity but A&E, out-of-hours GP services, neonatal intensive care, cancer screening programmes, etc., which don’t come with a waiting list attached. I wrote more about this for the Royal College of Midwives: https://lnkd.in/e-WJsnqg

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has made no secret of its intention to remove women from civic life. Since returning to power in 2021, they have imposed more and greater restrictions on women and girls, from taking away girls’ rights to education to taking away the voices of women and girls, literally, by forbidding them from speaking outside of their homes. In spite of this, midwives in Afghanistan have continued to support women through pregnancy, labour and birth. Despite being spread perilously thin and placing themselves at risk, they have sought to support the safety and welfare of women. On Tuesday (3 December), the Taliban regime issued a new edict: to close all midwifery education with immediate effect. Students arriving at education institutions in Afghanistan were turned away and told not to return. No more midwives will be trained. We are currently in the middle of the 16 days of activism, an international campaign which seeks an end to violence against women and girls. While they may not be directly raising a hand to Afghan women, through this latest step, the Taliban regime is putting thousands of women in harm’s way. Afghanistan already has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. This diktat will condemn many more women and babies to death. The Royal College of Midwives stands with student midwives, midwives and future midwives in Afghanistan, and with the women they continue to support, despite the risks. We call on the international community to intervene and use all means necessary to give the women of Afghanistan access to the essential healthcare they need.

The Royal College of Midwives has urged the Government to be ambitious for maternity care, as it submits its response to the consultation on the NHS 10-year plan. This, says the College, is an opportunity to reshape maternity services in England for the better, both for the women and families that access them and for the staff that work in them. Read more: https://buff.ly/3Bdj9u2