‘Midwives need to be shown they’re valued': Cork midwife says colleagues disappointed by recruitment pause

A CORK-BASED midwife has said that midwives need to be shown that they are valued, and that there is a future for them in the Irish health service, amid a recent recruitment pause.

Controls in relation to the recruitment of HSE management and administration staff were put in place in recent months, and a recruitment pause for management and administration was implemented in early October.

A further recruitment pause was extended across the HSE to other staff categories on November 10, as the target to recruit over 6,000 new posts in 2023 was met before the end of the year.

Cork-based midwife and INMO executive council member Lynda Moore said that the decision has been “very disappointing” for members.

“In the midst of a global shortage of midwives, when we desperately need to be increasing the number of midwives coming into the service and doing everything possible to retain those who are already working or being trained in Ireland, the Government’s decision on recruitment in the past few days has been very disappointing for our members,” she said.

“These midwives need to be shown that they are valued and that there is a future for them in the Irish health service, and that is the opposite of the message that they are getting from their employer.”

A spokesperson for the HSE told The Echo: “Our staff are undeniably our greatest asset, with their dedication, expertise, and passion delivering exceptional service for our patients and service users.”

The spokesperson pointed out that in 2023 it filled 13,000 replacement posts and had reached its recruitment target.

“The HSE workforce is at its highest since 2006, which is good news for the public and staff throughout the country, and reflects an expanding health service,” they said

“The Government has made it clear that we must not recruit beyond our agreed target.”

In a recent INMO survey, 88% of respondents stated they were understaffed most of the time.

Recruitment and retention of midwives was also noted to be a challenge for staffing, with 72% of respondents stating they had considered leaving midwifery in the past 12 months, and 48% of those citing workplace stress as the number one reason.

Speaking about the survey responses, Ms Moore said it is clear that those providing maternity care are feeling overwhelmed.

The challenges facing midwives were also discussed at the annual All-Ireland Midwifery Conference, jointly hosted by the INMO and the Royal College of Midwives Northern Ireland, yesterday.