Probe told of midwife ‘burnout’

The impact of the pandemic has meant 75% of midwives are considering leaving the NHS, an inquiry has heard. Emma Currer, from the Royal College of Midwives, told the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry yesterday she felt the “acute” nature of maternity care was not understood, and she described the profession as “at breaking point” with three-quarters of respondents to a survey saying they are considering leaving.

She said there was a “conflict” around protective personal equipment (PPE) during the pandemic which meant some midwives threatened not to go to work, while demand for homebirths went up due to concerns about hospitals and staff faced “increased hostility” from families due to enforced separation.

Ms Currer said: “We would have midwives saying we are expecting to be fitted with FF3 masks, because of resuscitating newborns, but management were saying that wasn’t required.

“I remember some members saying ‘I’m not going to work if I’m not being fitted for an FFP3 mask’.”

She said staff faced “increased hostility” because of forced separation during “unique and critical” times, which was “distressing”.

Ms Currer said: “They weren’t the decision-makers but they had to comply (with Covid regulations), but they were seen by the public as enforcers.”

Midwives faced “extreme burnout” and the profession has not recovered, the inquiry heard.

Ms Currer said: “We were very aware of extreme burnout in our membership.

“One of the biggest stresses being felt was newly qualified midwives without the support of more experienced staff and were sometimes turning up to work when the whole shift might have been newly qualified.

“You can’t defer post-natal care, it’s acutely required. You can’t prevent women from being in labour – these are things we can’t control.

“The way the (Covid) guidance was written didn’t really take into account maternity settings.

“We were having to say to some women their partner couldn’t be with them during labour and might not be there for the first few days of the baby’s life.

“I don’t think the government understood or fully recognised the acute nature of maternity care. A huge component of maternity care is transition, it’s a significant life event, it’s a family event.

“The figure of 75% thinking of leaving was arguably influenced by the pandemic.”

TOLL: The Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry is learning how midwives fared.