Live webchat with Royal College of Midwives CEO Cathy Warwick, 13 October 1 - 2pm

[KateHMumsnet]

Today, midwives in England are due to go on strike. Midwives and thousands of other health service staff are taking action after the NHS Pay Review Body’s recommendation of a 1% pay rise for all staff in England was rejected earlier this year by the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt. It’s the first strike over NHS pay in more than three decades, and the first-ever strike by the Royal College of Midwives, which nevertheless has the backing of 82% of its members for industrial action.

RCM Chief Executive Cathy Warwick will be joining us for a webchat on Monday from 1 - 2pm to answer your questions about the strike, and about maternity services in general. Please do join us live on the day, or post your questions in advance on this thread.

I hope your strike is effective - my midwives were fabulous and deserve much better working conditions.

I am really pleased the RCM is taking this stand.

It really jars that MP's have accepted an 11% pay rise ...whilst midwives are working more, with below inflation rises, in ever more strained conditions

Cathy was my Personal Tutor when I trained as a Midwife back in 1987/88 at St Mary's Paddington. Together with Caroline and Jeanette we were very lucky to have all three teach our group. Although back in General Nursing I am grateful to her for sharing her knowledge and skills and passing them on to our group as I often need my Midwifery knowledge. Her passion and commitment is truly appreciated

I fully support your right to strike - just so disappointed it's come to this. I hope you get what you ask for, you all deserve so much more!

Does anyone have a link to more information please? My gut reaction is that this is ill-advised and irresponsible but I am happy to have my opinion changed.

What more information would you like Catsize? We're striking for the first time in 133 years because the independent pay review body recommended we be given an across the board 1% pay rise as an affordable solution to our lengthy pay freeze. The government - despite being categorically unable to reject their own 11% payrise as it had been independently recommended - decided to reject the findings of our pay review and decided to only award 1% to those who are at the top of their pay scale, this is non substantive so does not count towards pension etc and at the end of the year we revert back to the previous years pay. The unions balloted and strike action was agreed. This is the first time midwives have ever been called upon to strike, and we voted overwhelmingly in favour to do so.

The unions have pledged that essential services will still be maintained, delivery suite, ITU, HDU etc so no lives will be at risk and we will essentially be providing a bank holiday service between the hours of 7-11am. Elective work should be cancelled or put back however emergencies will still be covered.

We haven't voted to strike on a whim and no 1% isn't that much really but it's a matter of principle and the sheer breathtaking arrogance of the Tory government at a time when cost of living has risen substantially and our professional fees are going up yet again that has caused me to vote with my feet and ensure I'll be stood on the picket line in the morning.

Sorry. A bit long!

Quick question for Cathy Warwick, why when promoting breastfeeding is at an all time high and as midwives we're not allowed to distinguish between one formula and another to recommend to new parents, do the RCM take money from formula companies to advertise in their Midwives magazine?

The town where I live, Stafford, faces losing its maternity services in the New Year as the consultant-led unit is likely to be downgraded to a MLU. (Link to the local NCT's petition against this here). There are women who are six months pregnant who don't know whether they will still be able to give birth at Stafford as the timescale for change has not yet been decided and is not being communicated well by the decision-makers, leading to a great deal of anxiety, confusion and uncertainty not to mention worry about having to travel to distant hospitals when in labour. Do you have any comments on this issue and suggestions on how local women can be supported in the unfortunate but sadly likely event that we lose maternity services?

I completely agree with your right to strike and the fact you deserve (much) more, but at 36 weeks pregnant, I have to say I feel worried by the strike and work to rule.

I have a c section booked (as last two emergency c sections) and know that it would be really difficult if the operation was postponed for political reasons. I completely understand that this is selfish, but with so much focus on childcare being arranged for my other two children, as well as their absolute excitement on having a new sibling, combined with hormones, I'm not sure how I would feel. I am praying I don't go into labour or need monitoring this week. It's such a stressful time anyway, I'd rather not have the additional worry to be honest.

I hope you at least achieve what you set out to do and hope that all the women that need help this week are ok and looked after. I hope they won't be put off routine screening for reduced movements etc, as I know some hesitste even without a strike on. I'm a big supporter of Count the Kicks and hope this doesn't dent confidence, with talk of picket lines etc.

Thanks Seattle, you have quashed many of my concerns. For how long has there been a pay freeze? We have suffered similarly in my job, which is primarily government funded. Only they have actually reduced our fees by up to a third or so. And that was after no increase since the 80s. Bless 'em. I understand your frustration!
Interesting re:formula adverts!

Of when this makes no difference what next?

And if there is no way for a midwife to safely have a break normally, how are they going to work to rule?

Another one curious about how work to rule will be carried out. Surely this will compromise patient safety? Am completely in support of the strike btw. Agree midwives work in appalling conditions for very little pay.

Completely support the strike. I have 3 questions if that's ok.

1. How common is it for a woman who is induced before their due date to experience complications (failure to progress, forceps, emcs etc) and if it's really common why isn't C-section recommended for women who need to be induced early?

2. Is it common for women in HDU to have no/occasional visitors and do you judge them when that happens?

3. If a woman is in HDU and the baby isn't ill enough to be in SCBU, who looks after the baby

Not about the strike (which I support massively) but about care in hospitals post birth. How can it be improved. I hated staying overnight and seeing c-section women ignored when not being able to lift their babies and everyone else overstretched. If it's not a role for midwives can auxiliary staff help more?

I completely support your strike today all I would like to say to you is to praise my current midwife I'm currently 17+4 weeks pregnant and my little girl has downs syndrome and severe hydrops we currently don't know if my little girl will survive.My midwife has been absolutely fantastic and has gone out of her way to find any information she can has gone above and beyond the call of duty to support me .What I am trying to say you deserve a decent wage for an amazing job you do

Hi Cathy,

I also completely support the strike, and thanks for coming to MN.

The few midwives I know are overworked, several of whom haven't had a proper holiday in years and now they're being denied a teensy 1% pay rise, on top of it all. It's surprising that not more midwives have quit!

My question is, apart from the 1% pay rise, what one change would you advocate to improve circumstances for midwives?

As a student midwife my heart is with the strikers today. My head sadly is in my books as we have an exam looming . It was a brave choice and I hope all goes well for those out on the picket lines today.

I am looking forward to tomorrow's RCM study day in Stockton :)

As far as midwifery service in general go, what, if anything, do you think can be done to stop having such a vast difference in services from trust to trust? All trusts have access to the same evidence bases yet practice can be wildly different. When to induce? When to use antibiotics? Eating and drinking in labour, admission CTGs, who can use the pool, how long to wait before augmentation with SROM. Just a few of the things that vary so much even within my local area. This area spans several trusts and as such there is quite a wide choice of hospital for women (sadly we do not have access to a stand alone MLU) but with all of the trusts following different guidelines it becomes very difficult for women to make an informed choice.

Another who is completely supporting the strikes and wishing you all luck!

It's clear that midwives suffer awful working conditions and this is the first strike they have been involved in, so why has this been accepted for so long and why are so many people still desperate to be midwives but can't get in etc.?

I'm a midwife and to be honest although I think its bad we've not had a payrise in years its the working conditions which horrify me more. The pressure, the paperwork, being short staffed, increasing workloads. Then you get in trouble if you've missed a tick box on the admission paperwork.

Increasingly having to choose between concentrating on filling out paperwork correctly or supporting the woman. And sadly its the paperwork which is winning.

Impossible to do otherwise at times especially when caring for more than one woman at a time on labour ward.

I wish the rcm would campaign on conditions more than pay.

Yes Viva. I'm interested in the way in which different units organise their staffing to help overcome this. I was talking to a mixture of people a few days ago who all had experience of different units and it seems each had different systems. Each midwife certainly had her own views on what works and what doesn't!

Hi Cathy - thanks for coming on. While you're here, I was wondering what your thoughts are on the presence of Bounty reps on maternity wards (something Mumsnet is campaigning on)? What are you experiences of the effects this practice has on women who have recently given birth? Best of luck to you and all your members

oops, sorry, didn't read the guidelines about 1 question only before posting.

ellie. I wouldn't worry, lots of people end up asking more than one question.

Though I reckon number 3) of yours depends on the unit. Everywhere will have different policies and their units will be set up in different ways. The unit where I am on placement the baby almost always stays with the mother even in HDU (we have our own HDU as part of the unit) but if she is really too poorly to care for baby and she does not have a birth partner remaining with her to help then the baby will go to the neonatal unit to be babysat. That has also happened when there have been extreme complications and a woman has had to go to the main intensive care unit rather than remain in the midwifery HDU.

I completely support the strike too. I'd genuinely happily pay more tax and ni to improve the NHS staffing levels etc.

Why is this thread not stickied? I hope the webchat doesn't end up full of tumbleweed.