Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of flexible working arrangements for NHS midwives.

All employees covered by the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook have the right to request flexible working from day one, without the need to provide a justification.

NHS England is committed to promoting and supporting flexible working opportunities in midwifery, and across the wider National Health Service workforce. They have brought together midwifery leaders from across the system to support the implementation of flexible working across maternity services. There are no plans to assess the adequacy of flexible working arrangements specifically for maternity staff at this time.