Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 30
Continuity of carer is a cornerstone of the Government and NHS commitment to deliver safer...
Recommendation
Continuity of carer is a cornerstone of the Government and NHS commitment to deliver safer maternity services for all women. It is simply not possible to implement it safely, however, due to the considerable staffing shortages across maternity services. A fully staffed, properly funded maternity services workforce is fundamental to delivering safe, personalised care to pregnant women and new mothers, and a prerequisite to rolling out any measures to combat inequalities. Government funding falls short of the £200–350 million per annum recommended by the Health and Social Care Select Committee in July 2021 and endorsed by the final Ockenden report in March 2022. The Government should commit to increasing the annual budget for maternity services to £200–350 million from the next financial year.
Government Response Summary
The government says NHS services will ensure the right numbers of the right staff are available to provide the best care for women and babies and that it is investing in recruitment and retention, having already invested an additional £165m recurrently in maternity and neonatal services since March 2021.
Paragraph Reference:
30
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
15. The Delivery Plan sets out that NHS services will ensure the right numbers of the right staff are available to provide the best care for women and babies through regular local workforce planning, including trusts meeting staffing establishment levels and achieving fill rates by 2027/28 for midwifery. 16. We are taking action to invest in establishment, recruitment, and retention and to provide additional support to the maternity workforce. Since March 2021, we have invested an additional £165m recurrently in maternity and neonatal services. We are committed to improving maternity safety.