Maternity Services in Crisis as RCM Calls for New Strategy in Northern Ireland

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Northern Ireland has criticized the critical need for a new maternity strategy due to the growing number of "complicated pregnancies" and the changing demographics of pregnant women.

The report states that over one-fourth of pregnant women are obese, and there has been a dramatic rise in pregnancies among women in their 30s.

The RCM said that the demand on maternity services cannot be measured by just the number of births and that the demographic profile of pregnant women has changed significantly over the past decade.

The report states that there is a growing number of women with additional health needs and that older women are more likely to experience higher rates of pregnancy-related conditions.

The RCM has called for a new maternity and neonatal strategy to be funded and published to help design and plan services based on current trends.

The Department of Health in Northern Ireland said it is committed to working with the RCM and improving maternity services, but is facing a tightening budget and will have to decide which work can be done with its available funding.

The article highlights the need for politicians to return to work in the institutions and for more investment in midwives, which can be achieved by improving their pay and working conditions.

The article reports that in March, midwives in Northern Ireland voted to take industrial action over pay, as the health service is facing unfunded spending pressures of £472 million, with £375 million related to a pay claim matching that of NHS England.