Labour pledge one-to-one maternity care with 3,000 new midwifes

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Labour launch their health manifesto today with a new pledge offering greater care for women during labour and childbirth. The announcement means that patients will get one-to-one care from midwifes – and the guarantee will be enshrined in the NHS constitution. It will mean that personalised care from a midwife during the whole period of labour, childbirth, and the immediate period after birth.

The policy will mean hiring 3,000 new midwifes, with the money for the proposal coming out of Labour’s proposed £2.5 billion “Time to Care” fund, which has already been costed.

Announcing the policy, Ed Miliband will say:

“When our two sons were born we received brilliant care from NHS midwives. I know how important this is for mothers, for babies – and for fathers too – at this special but nerve-wracking time for families.

“But too often staff shortages in the NHS means nurses, doctors and midwives feel they don’t have the time to offer the care that they want  – and families need.  

‘Call the midwife’ shouldn’t just be a TV programme from the past but part of our NHS future too. We need to ensure the NHS can offer every woman the personalised one-to-one care we expect from a modern and thriving health service.  

“Our fully-funded plan will provide the extra staff including midwives needed to give them the time to care. Because it is time to care for our NHS.”

Labour say that staff numbers in NHS hospitals have not kept up with demand over the last five years, and National Audit Office research in 2013 found that there was a shortage of midwifes – meaning the NHS cannot currently offer one-to-one care during labour, which is recommended for the health of both women and children.

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