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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

70 year old midwives?

103 replies

Ispywith · 05/04/2012 21:12

Do you think the Government is BU to make all midwives work until they are 68 +? Midwives have to decide whether to take this offer (rather than 60/65 as previously) or to take serious industrial action. What are your views on being looked after by a 70 year old midwife who is on her 3rd 13 hour shift with no breaks? I think it is going to be unsafe for mothers and babies. Some 68/70 year olds are fit and healthy but doing this job - not so sure it is do-able for most. What's your thoughts?

OP posts:

RuleBritannia · 05/04/2012 21:14

Nothing wrong me so nothing wrong with them.

I take it you have never been that age so don't really know how well we they are. And capable. And more charismatic. And are properly trained nurses.

RuleBritannia · 05/04/2012 21:15

And there's a shortage so why not if they are prepared to do it?

TheCunningStunt · 05/04/2012 21:18

Ageism anyone?it wouldn't bother me....and I'd support whatever decision the midwives make in relation to the proposal, though I hope it doesn't result in a strike as they are essential. It's up to them.

mosschops30 · 05/04/2012 21:18

Ive just left ICU because 12 hour shifts in a stressful environment at the ripe old age of 36 are killing me slowly (stress, back and neck problems).
Im sure i wouldnt want to be doing it at nearly 70.

Im not saying women in their 60s cant do the job, i just think its bloody hard and they might be better working say on the post natal or ante natal wards, running bf clinics, rather than 12 hour labour ward shifts.

Just my opinion

TheFeministsWife · 05/04/2012 21:18

Blimey I think that's awful! Being a midwife is a very physical demanding job. My maternal grandmother would have been absolutely fine working as a midwife until she was 70, she was very active after she retired at 60. For the first 15 or so years after she retired she was pretty much out every night, at the bingo and dancing and would sleep till the afternoon. When she hit 75 she started to get health problems, she died 2 weeks before her 80th birthday.

In contrast my paternal grandmother died when she was 69, she was in very ill health before she died and she also retired at 60. So there's no way she could have worked as a midwife till she was 70 she probably would have died younger if she had!

Both were heavy smokers btw.

YouChangeWithTheWeather · 05/04/2012 21:21

For the same reason you don't see many older teachers, I can't see this working - experience is expensive. Younger less experienced staff cost less in salary.

LesAnimaux · 05/04/2012 21:38

Why is there a shortage of midwives?

Are not enough being trained?

Or not enough posts made available? (Which is what I suspect)

I would love an older midwife to care for me in labour. The midwife I had for my homebirth was in her 60's, and she was beyond fabulous.

However, I think making anyone work untill they are in their 70's is unreasonable. I think days of people remaining healthy longer are gone. Although life expectancy may well stay static because of improved healthcare, I suspect that the overall health of older people will not be so good due to increasingly inactive lifestyles.

featherbag · 05/04/2012 21:41

Not just midwives, nurses too. I'd hate to be the person whose survival relies on how fast 68-yr-old me can run to them carrying a defibrillator.

georgie22 · 05/04/2012 21:43

It's not just midwives though, it's all nurses. I doubt that many staff could do 12 hour shifts on busy hospital wards at the age of 68 - that's not ageism it's just a fact. I certainly can't imagine me being capable of that following many years working on the wards. I now work in the community in a role that is physically less demanding but more challenging in other ways so not sure I can do this till I'm in my late 60s.

Gigondas · 05/04/2012 21:45

I had a 65 year old post natal MW. She was ace and I would have no issue in having her at birth (she offered) as her knowledge and skil was amazing . However she had largely retired from work for similar reasons to mosschops. I think unless they wanted to do birth bit I would agree with post/ante natal idea . But it would be for them to judge - personally I think more experienced MW at any stage can only be a good thing.

featherbag · 05/04/2012 21:46

Sorry, that should've read 'how fast 68-yr-old me can run to them carrying a defibrillator at hour 12 of a 13-hour shift.

marriedinwhite · 05/04/2012 21:46

Well when I was 39 and having dd the midwives who were 40 or 50 something were so much more reassuring than the midwives who were 20 or 30 something. They would be the ones who will be working until they are 68 then? Yes please - all that experience and having entered nursing/midwifery when the training was rigorous and the students were probably just a tad off russell group graduate calibre.

treedelivery · 05/04/2012 21:48

Plenty of plder midwives I know say they are noticing a difference in terms of thier focus and ability to work to the end of a shift, turn around after nights etc etc. Some are also finding manual dexterity more difficult than they used to, i.e. holding instruments and suturing. I only say this as I have heard them say it themselves when we discuss the increasing retirement age. When you consider the role of a delivery suite co-ordinator and all the plates you need to juggle, manning theatre, mannign deliveries, providing labour room cover, managing risk, assessing ward based needs, assessing on-call needs, observing ward based decisions for safety........

I am late 30's and the job wipes me out. I have no idea how I will cope until my projected retirement age of 68. There are very very very few non clinical roles for midwives [naturally], and those tend to be dynamic management types. Can't reduce hours right down as they pension is based ont he final 3-5 years of salary.....

....no idea how I'll get through.

treedelivery · 05/04/2012 21:49

Don't forget a 30 year old midwife can have 8/9 years full time experience - not to be sniffed at.

TerrierMalpropre · 05/04/2012 21:49

What MarriedinWhite said.

LesAnimaux · 05/04/2012 21:52

"Can't reduce hours right down as they pension is based ont he final 3-5 years of salary....."

I didn't know that.

I'm very ignorant about public sector pensions. I thought they were accrued.

featherbag · 05/04/2012 21:53

The pensions are changing to career average for those of us not due to retire in the next however many years, LesAnimaux.

LesAnimaux · 05/04/2012 21:54

I would support a strike, in that case. (But then I'm planning on having no more babies) - and am prepared to offer up my services to any woman in labour should there be a strike. My credentials are that I have given birth myself, and watched a couple of episodes of one born every minute.

marriedinwhite · 05/04/2012 21:54

I thought the public service pensions were moving towards life time average rathen that fss based on the best of the last five years.

Original poster

Ispywith · 05/04/2012 21:54

The reason for the original shortage of midwives was so many left the profession (prob due to burn-out), the government then trained loads & now there's no jobs as they have cut back so much. It is often dangerous as it is now with the shortages, just think what it will be like when they are 70. I am not being ageist as like I said some choose to be there but most will HAVE to be there. God I can just imagine the watch-dog programmes!! "I nearly bleed to death as my midwife couldn't move any quicker on her Zimmerframe".

OP posts:

LesAnimaux · 05/04/2012 21:54

Ah, thank you, featherbag.

treedelivery · 05/04/2012 21:56

Ours is 'final salary' so takes an avergae over the last 3 or 5 years. Which is ace if you are a ever promoted dynamic type.

Not so good if you are a mum and getting on and want to wind down to help out with grand kids and their childcare and so on. Not that that is anyone's problem but our own, but it does infuence.

Couldn't disagree more MarriedinWhite An evidenced based, listening and responsive practitioner will always be my midwife of choice. COuldn't care less what their age.

McHappyPants2012 · 05/04/2012 21:56

Age is just a number, as long as any midwife is up to date with training with new practises that's all that matters

VivaLeBeaver · 05/04/2012 21:57

Scares me. Even if I might be physically capable I wonder how quick I'll be mentally. I have back problems caused by the job so not expecting to be able to go on another 30+ years. A dr I know is just retiring now at 62, he was hoping to go to 65 but he told me he's struggling with memory and thought processing so will retire in a few months.

treedelivery · 05/04/2012 22:00

I think a career average would work in favour of midwives. I earn as much now as I did 10 years ago - because of needing to go part time [making days and nights and 12 hour shifts fit with childcare is beyond the wit of man, so I have absolutely No Choice]. I'd prefer a career average.

I think

Absolutely agree that a 98% clinical workforce should not be forced to work to late 60's/70's. People may be living longer but that doesn't mean their joints, muscles and brain cells are firing like they used to. And this job doesn't forgive any slackness in those areas.

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