SCORES of people stood in solidarity over the weekend at a vigil in Bromsgrove aiming to highlight the current maternity services ‘crisis’.

Over 50 people came together at Bromsgrove’s Birdbox on Sunday, November 21 to raise awareness of poor working conditions for midwives.

The town joined other demonstrations, dubbed March with Midwives, across the country in an effort to combat issues in the ‘crumbling profession’.

Co-organiser of the Bromsgrove march, Kathryn Humpherson, has been a midwife for over 15 years and has never seen staffing levels so low.

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“We have always been short of staff but the number of staff on at one time is now halved,” said Ms Humpherson.

“People are leaving the profession quicker than they are being replaced.

“Covid has played a part in the awful conditions as people have been shielding and working from home, but the problems were there before the pandemic.

“Its soul destroying to see the profession and the people working in the profession crumble.”

A survey by the Royal College of Midwives found over half of midwives surveyed said they were considering leaving their job as a midwife with 57 per cent saying they would leave the NHS in the next year.

Bromsgrove Advertiser: People held signs saying 'save the midwife'. People held signs saying 'save the midwife'.

Of those midwives who either have left or were considering leaving, more than eight out of 10 were concerned about staffing levels.

Kathryn, who is from Redditch, said it is a ‘postcode lottery’ with the standard of care women receive.

“The delivery of babies is the main thing people think we do, but we do so much wrap around care too.

“We do so much paperwork and admin that could be done by another person whilst we take care of mothers.

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“I am really worried about the future of maternity.

“As a nation we are supposed to be leaders of maternity care, but we are failing all the time.”