Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

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:

OhdearNigel · 05/04/2012 22:00

If a person is unfit to do a job they are unfit to do a job. Most of the 70 year olds I know are a lot more vigorous than the 20 year olds of my acquaintance.

VivaLeBeaver · 05/04/2012 22:00

Treedelivery, I've known people retire at a certain age after doing a year of nights to make sure they have a good pension. They make sure their pension is safe. Then they come back two weeks later on a new, p/t contract. So there is a way round it.

OhdearNigel · 05/04/2012 22:02

presumably the older midwives would not be expected to cover nights/short turn rounds ?

treedelivery · 05/04/2012 22:02

It's the memory and finer tasks that worry me Viva. I think they will really task me. Being as they 'aint so great as it is, post childbirth!

I have heard a lot of retiring NHS staff say they just aren't as sharp.

VivaLeBeaver · 05/04/2012 22:02

I figure I'll carry on as long as I can. If I start making mistakes, etc when I'm in my 60s I'm sure I'll get suspended or struck off soon enough. Will keep going till they sack me.

treedelivery · 05/04/2012 22:03

OhdearNigel - yes they absolutely will. There has been and never will be any 'carrying' of staff. Those in their 60's are working nights right now.

treedelivery · 05/04/2012 22:03

See you for a nice luncheon after our NMC tribunals Viva?

VivaLeBeaver · 05/04/2012 22:04

Ha ha ha at the older midwives not been expected to do nights, quick turn arounds. There is no compassion, thought towards anything like that.

They will be expected to look after three women on the labour ward, run ragged with no break for their whole shift like everyone else.

VivaLeBeaver · 05/04/2012 22:04

I've already decided I'm not going to bother going to my nmc hearing.

OhdearNigel · 05/04/2012 22:04

. Having thought "why on earth not" i'm now thinking of the practicalities of my own 67 year old, hip replaced Mum having to be a practicing midwife at her age and while I fully agree with "age equality" I wonder how many 66+ year olds would be enthused about it

VivaLeBeaver · 05/04/2012 22:06

And when I'm older, with my bad back and bad knees there will be no way I'll be crawling about on the floor when women want to kneel, squat, stand, etc. They'll be told to get on the bed as I'll be too old for any of that shenanigans!

OhdearNigel · 05/04/2012 22:07

MWs on here - would you say it is the physical job itself or the conditions (eg. 12 hour shifts, 3 women to a midwife, chronic understaffing) that make it so daunting ?

treedelivery · 05/04/2012 22:07

I'm going! Apparently there is talk of hotels and expenses. I intend to catch a show and have lunch at Claridges.

marriedinwhite · 05/04/2012 22:07

A rather radical suggestion but how about if the midwives transferred to being health visitors and no health visitor was allowed to practice as a health visitor without being a midwife first - for the experience. Filling out forms isn't physically challenging is it?

VivaLeBeaver · 05/04/2012 22:08

Both but probably the conditions more. It is draining in a way that I can't describe.

treedelivery · 05/04/2012 22:09

Yes to both those OhdearNigel - but actually it's how mentally sharp you have to be. For hours on end. That's what I know will bite me. Plus the days and nights, very fast shift turnaround and the sheer workload.

The stress too. It makes you tired and rather old.

OhdearNigel · 05/04/2012 22:09

Married - that's an interesting idea; certainly in the sector I work in (police) all the older officers tend to be in a "desk-bound" role by the time they retire, there are very few older officers working on response and those that are tend to be career "bobbies" that would hate driving a desk

Original poster

Ispywith · 05/04/2012 22:12

Yes people know 70 year olds who are fit as fiddles and yes we all know some great older midwives who still are great & love their job. It's when the mentally & physically drained 70 yr old that misses something & mother/baby dies, then what will the courts & everyone else say then? Morbidity,mortality & near- misses rates will be interesting (& sad).

OP posts:

treedelivery · 05/04/2012 22:13

Now HV I could never ever be. The child protection would break my heart. No way I could cope with the case reviews etc etc.

Plus there isn't a need for so many HV's.

Hope it's no use, we'll just have to shuffle up and down labour wards and in and out of theatre. Lots of caffeine and pain killers. It's got us this far. 15 years in...Only 30 years to go......

blubberyboo · 05/04/2012 22:14

i don't think you can just apply something to one profession and not others

ideally i don't think anyone should have to work til that age because we all want to enjoy retirement but with an aging population there won't be enough working young people to support all the retirees
but how can you say one profession needs to retire early and others don't...i don't think all 70 year old are quite crocks yet. i know a man who worked on building sites well into his 70s. By your reasoning that would mean he was a danger to his colleagues just because of his age. Fitness varies hugely between people regardless of age. Some 70 year olds are very fit some 25 year old are not.

yes midwives have a hard job but ultimately its the mother who does most of the hard work and there are always other people on hand. i don't remember any of the midwives at my 3 births having to do anything that required physical exertion on their part - for my middle child she just had a 2 hr chat with my husband about his work and just asked me now and again if i had had any contractions yes thanks i've had 10

maybe older midwives will end up doing more post natal ,community and antenatal work rather than just on the labour wards. its about putting the person in the job they are best suited to.

do we want 70 year old bus drivers and lorry drivers on our roads?
do we want 70 year old doctors, dentists, nurses and teachers?
do we want 70 year old construction workers, electricians etc

it should be down to individual capability otherwise it is just ageist

most lollipop ladies/men are in their 70s+ - helping our children cross busy roads......

ChippingInNeedsCoffee · 05/04/2012 22:15

I think anyone should be able to continue in their job for as long as they want to (as long as they are safe to do so), but I hate the fact that we are all being pushed into retiring later and later... no one should have to be working into their late 60's. It's especially ridiculous when we have young people (and middle aged people!) who can't get jobs!! Pay pensions earlier and get younger people into work!!

I would happily have a mw who was 70 - as long as she was there because she wanted to be and not because she had to be.

VivaLeBeaver · 05/04/2012 22:15

I wouldn't object to doing health visiting instead. Though at the minute as a midwife you have to go to uni for a year to become qualified as a hv. Not sure I'd cope with a year of academic study. You lose a years wages and not sure at 60 I'd be able to pass academic assignments.........?

VivaLeBeaver · 05/04/2012 22:17

Very true chipping. The money that is been saved on pensions is just been spent on more JSA. And we have a generation of young adults who have never worked, are getting no skills, experience, etc.

marriedinwhite · 05/04/2012 22:21

Viva - I'd say a midwife with 20 years of experience is far better placed to act as a HV and might make the service a great deal more professional than some of the numptys staffing it at present.

Original poster

Ispywith · 05/04/2012 22:25

Blubbery believe me it is a very physical job! You were obviously very calm. When you have someone completely out of control or some of the manoeuvres we have to do in emergencies, peering at people's behinds in all kinds of positions. Also the physical tiredness from working 13 hours & then being on-call all night for home births, or being up all night at one & expected to come in and finish your 13 hours off after is a little tiring. After all this I do love my job but don't want to kill someone or myself by working myself like this at 70!!!

OP posts:

Flip

1 2 3 4 5