New birth figures published by the Office for National Statistics show a 2.4 per cent increase in England’s birth rate from 2009 to 2010. This is the highest figure for almost 40 years and a 22 per cent increase since 2001.
According to RCM, the national shortage in midwives has increased from 2,800 to the 4,700 in the past decade.
Cathy Warwick, general secretary of RCM, accused Prime Minister David Cameron of breaking his promise to recruit more than 3,000 additional midwives, which he made when he was leader of the opposition in January 2010.
"The government has committed to protecting student midwife training places, but this is only for one year and does little good if there are not jobs for those midwives to go to," she said.
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