88% of midwives in Irish hospitals say units are understaffed most of the time
Some 82% of midwives say the recommended ratio of one midwife per 29.5 births is not happening in their hospitals.
Some 88% of midwives in Irish hospitals said their units are understaffed most of the time and warned this is negatively affecting safety, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has found.
Pregnant women are already seeing the impact with 82% of midwives saying the recommended ratio of one midwife per 29.5 births is not happening in their hospitals.
The time midwives spend with individual women is also affected, with 80% saying this has reduced.
In all the INMO said there are over 800 midwifery vacancies at the moment.
Some 90% of those surveyed said their workload increased over the last year and only 31% said they are always or usually able to leave work on time at shift's end.
Linked to all this, 72% said they had considered leaving midwifery in the past year.
INMO director of professional services Tony Fitzpatrick said the shortage of midwives “has a direct impact on the levels of safety and choice that can be offered in maternity services. “
He warned of additional pressures to come linked to the HSE recruitment pause with only graduate midwives exempt from the freeze.
“The effect of further depleting the midwifery workforce will negatively impact both midwives and the invaluable services they provide,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.
“In terms of its potential impact on the quality and safety of maternity care in Ireland, the INMO absolutely condemns and considers utterly unconscionable that the HSE decision would introduce a moratorium for midwifery at a time when have over 800 vacant midwifery positions and frontline midwives are attempting to provide quality care and fill the gaps that already exist.”
The survey also identified a desire for more community midwifery with 94% calling for more access to this and 94% also calling for midwife-led maternity units of which there are just two in Ireland.
Midwives from Ireland and Northern Ireland gather on Thursday in Monaghan for the All Ireland Annual Midwifery Conference.
