Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the forthcoming NHS England long-term workforce plan will include a specific plan for (a) midwifery and (b) other occupations within the maternity care team.

The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention. The plan will review all National Health Service professions, including midwifery and other occupations within the maternity care team.

In 2022, an additional £127 million has been invested in the National Health Service maternity workforce and improving neonatal care, including in York Central. This is in addition to the £95 million invested in 2021 to fund a further 1,200 midwives and 100 consultant obstetricians. We have provided approximately £450,000 to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to develop a new workforce planning tool to improve how maternity units calculate medical staffing requirements.

NHS England is working with the Department and the Nursing and Midwifery Council to support midwifery international recruitment and Health Education England is working with stakeholders to implement an increase of 3,650 midwifery student places by the end of 2022/23.