Nurses drafted in to shore up understaffed maternity unit

Nurses are being drafted in to an NHS hospital to help support the maternity unit due to dozens of midwife vacancies.

According to the Royal College of Midwives, they were worried the staff shortages were becoming more widespread as the NHS are becoming more desperate to fill the vacancies, however, the College has warned against using registered nurses instead of midwives as it could have an impact on the care of women and babies. 

Amid staff shortages at Basildon Hospital, there is now an active consideration to move planned caesarean sections to Southend Hospital, part of the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust. 

One worker  has said “Basildon doesn't feel like a centre of excellence at the moment. I worry that flooding a department with newly qualified midwives and agency workies is a recipe for patient harm.” 

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Source: The Independent, 28 July 2021