Safe Staffing: The impact of staffing shortages in maternity and neonatal care - Report of the Baby Loss and Maternity All Party Parliamentary Groups (13 October 2022)

Summary

This joint report by the APPG on Baby Loss and the APPG on Maternity is a culmination of over 100 submissions to an open call for evidence from staff, service users and organisations, on the maternity staffing crisis. It paints a picture of a service that is at breaking point and staff that are over-worked, burnt out and stressed.

Content

The report looks at the following issues:

1. To what extent are maternity services affected by staffing shortages?
2. What impact are staffing shortages having on antenatal care?
3. What impact are staffing shortages having on labour and birth?
4. What impact are staffing shortages having on postnatal care?
5. What impact are staffing shortages having on neonatal care?
6. What impact are staffing shortages having on the quality and/or safety of bereavement care?
7. What impact are staffing shortages having on learning from incidents?
8. What impact are staffing shortages having on the morale and wellbeing of maternity staff?
9. What impact are staffing shortages having on the training and development of maternity staff?
10. What impact are staffing shortages having on the recruitment and retention of maternity staff?
11. What measures are necessary to address staffing shortages in the short term?
12. What measures are necessary to address staffing shortages in the medium to long term?