70 year old midwives?

[Ispywith]

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?

So I actually know where this "work to 68" policy came from.

It's the 2007 Freud Report of which Chapter 2 is entitled "Towards 80% in work".

"the government has set itself a long term aim of 80% employment. By historical and international standards this is clearly an ambitious aspiration ? probably the most ambitious made in the area of employment policy. Only one country in the world, Iceland, has employment substantially above 80%.
"The Department has said in its Green Paper that, in order to achieve 80% employment:
? the lone parent employment rate would need to increase to 70%;
? the incapacity benefits caseload would need to reduce by one million;
? the number of older workers in employment would need to increase by one million."

So this is an entirely arbitrary, idealogical plan from 2007. Before the recession.

Come cheery 2008, it was suggested that penalising older people, disabled people and lone parents for not working might not actually achieve 80% employment. The then Labour government said, "Tough. Gonna do it anyway."

The raising of retirement age is simply the over-60s' version of the Welfare Reform Bill.

I think its the only way. They will cover labour ward and emergencies. The bank staff or people that don't vote that way will cover. In my eyes it will benefit women and their families in the long run. We are encouraging midwives to put in over time forms every time we are late and critical forms every time we don't get breaks on a long day. This way they will realise we are working for free most of the time and we need to employ more staff!

My mother retired recently she worked in the NHS and she admits her "era" did work a lot of good will hours. I think this has ahd a negative effect on the service as now they are cutting back what we didn't actually have in the first place! Now they are take take take from us people aren't prepared as much to do this. It is hard though as how can you leave a young mother who has just delivered to her own devices as there is no one to hand over to - rubbish.....

I think you're right. It's going to be interesting when the results of the RCM useless ineffectual fuckers ballot come out.