'Overworked' and 'demoralised' - midwives protest over 'critically unsafe' maternity services
Midwives have been protesting across the region against what organisers describe as "critically unsafe" maternity services due to a lack of staff.
'March for Midwives' protests took place in Cheltenham, Bristol, Stroud, Exeter, Truro, Torquay and Barnstaple. One midwife told ITV News the sector was "in crisis".
It comes as the number of nurses and midwives leaving the professions has risen.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council say the latest data shows the overall number of people quitting the register has increased for the most recent period for the first time in four years.
The Royal College of Midwives estimates the UK is short of 3,500 midwives. A Royal College of Midwives survey found:
60% of UK midwives are considering leaving the profession
57% said they planned to leave the NHS in the next year
80% of those planning to leave cited inadequate staffing levels
67% said they were unhappy with the quality and safety of care they are currently able to deliver
Debbie Macaskill from Lydney worked as a midwife for more than three decades before retiring last year. She says staff are exhausted.
She said: "A severe shortage of midwives, midwives training and not being retained, 29 out of 30 newly qualified midwives are leaving the profession. It makes you ask why is this happening? They're tired, overworked and demoralised. They just want to provide safe care.
"A newly qualified midwife gets under £25,000 and the responsibilities they carry are immense. They also have to pay full student fees at university so they coming out with £40,000 worth of debt. It doesn't encourage people to want to join the profession."
In a statement the Department for Health and Social Care said: "Midwives do an incredibly important job and we know how challenging it has been working through the pandemic. There are more midwives working across the NHS now than at any time in its history and we are aiming to hire 1200 more with a recruitment drive.
"Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of staff remains a key priority and the NHS continues to offer a broad range of health and wellbeing support including via mental health and wellbeing hubs."