March for Midwives protest happening in Salisbury today
It's part of a national day of action
Today vigils will be held across the UK calling on the Government to take urgent measures to ease pressures on maternity services, with one taking place in Salisbury.
The city's march will start at 2pm at Queen Elizabeth Gardens.
Salisbury District Hospital are showing their support of midwives saying the last year has been tough but their resilience and hard work shines through.
March with Midwives claim that 2021 has seen maternity services become unsafe for staff and users; as of July of this year, 41% of all maternity services are rated “inadequate” or “requires improvement” for safety.
Salisbury District Hospital was rated as "requires improvement' for safety in July
There's concern too that almost 60 % of midwives across the country surveyed by the Royal College of Midwives say they are thinking of leaving.
It is not only Midwives marching today but parents and healthcare professionals too.
A petition urging the government to invest more money into maternity services to solve the midwife staffing shortage has over 89 thousand signatures.
March with Midwives’ steering group say:
“It is clear that maternity services in the UK are in crisis, giving birth in the UK; a high-income country, is becoming critically unsafe. This is unacceptable. Where we have women, birthing people and babies at risk; their families, communities and countries become sick. This is a genuine national emergency which impacts every level of society.
“We call on the UK government to implement urgent crisis management and resources. Government promises are not being kept and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Maternity must take responsibility for their silence and call for immediate action.“
Joanne Hayward Director of Maternity and Neonatal Services at Salisbury District Hospital said:
"Our midwives and whole maternity team are at the very heart of the services we provide at Salisbury Hospital. The maternity team support mothers and families 24 hours a day 52 weeks of the year and have done so ever since the NHS was founded in 1948. Midwives are there supporting mothers and families throughout the ups and downs of pregnancy and childbirth and it is a huge privilege to be at a mothers side at such an incredibly important moment in their lives.
"The past couple of years have been very challenging for our team as they have managed through the pandemic and experienced a very heavy workload. Yet their resilience and dedication has been demonstrated time and again."