Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that funding for maternity services is adequate to (a) safeguard the health of mothers and babies and (b) secure good working conditions for midwives.

In March 2021, we announced £95.6 million to support the recruitment of 1,200 midwives and 100 consultant obstetricians to ensure safe staffing levels and personalised midwifery care for women and babies. The Department has commissioned the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to develop a new workforce planning tool to improve calculations of medical staffing requirements to provide safe, personalised care tailored to communities. We have also provided £6.8 million to support Local Maternity Systems to implement Equity and Equality Action Plans and implement targeted and enhanced Continuity of Carer to improve equity and safe outcomes for mothers and babies.

The NHS People Plan includes a focus on healthy working environments and safe spaces for staff to rest and recuperate. The National Health Service has established a People Recovery Task Force to develop a framework and interventions which will ensure that all NHS staff, including midwives, are safe and able to recover. We have invested £43 million in staff mental health support for 2021/22, in addition to £15 million in 2020/21. Forty mental health hubs are providing outreach and assessment services to help frontline staff receive rapid access to mental health services.