Midwife shortage puts mums & babies at risk

MATERNITY SERVICES SUFFERING | Author claims women are not getting proper care as part of 'box-ticking pressure

- ROSIE TAYLOR

A SENIOR midwife has warned "systemic problems" in Scotland's maternity services mean mums are not getting adequate care after birth.

Leah Hazard said pressure on staff to get mothers and babies "quickly out of the door" meant hospitals were often failing to provide the aftercare they need.

As a result, some women were developing infections that could have been prevented or treated sooner if they had been given the proper hospital care.

It comes after a survey of nearly 900 Scottish midwives by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) found three quarters were considering leaving the profession.

Many cited frustration that they were unable to provide an acceptable quality of care due to staff shortages.

Some 50 per cent of midwives surveyed said their department "rarely" had safe staffing levels.