HALF of the English regions have cut their spending on maternity services despite the ongoing baby boom, according to new figures obtained by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
Other figures also show that only one English region meets the recommended minimum staffing level for midwives.
The figures came out yesterday, on the second day of the RCM’s Annual Conference in Telford, and ahead of tomorrow’s planned closure of the much-needed Maternity Unit at Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield.
The figures show that five of the English regions cut spending on maternity services in 2012-13.
Topping the list for the biggest cut is the East Midlands with a 15% drop in spending over the previous year.
London saw a 6% fall and Yorkshire & Humber, the North East and South West also had small spending cuts.
This confirms the findings of an RCM survey released in September showing that almost a fifth of senior midwives said their budget had been cut in the previous twelve months.
The figures also show that just one English region is meeting the recommended midwifery staffing levels.
The RCM recommends that midwifery staffing levels are one midwife to 28 births per year. The current average for England is 33.2.
The North East just about meets the recommendation at 28.1 but other regions have worryingly high levels.
The region with the worst ratio is South Central with 40 and the East of England at 35.8.
The RCM argues that any maternity service not meeting the recommended staffing levels should look at their service and its midwifery needs as a matter of urgency.
In the September survey of senior midwives over a third (34.4%) said the amount of money they have for staff is not enough to ensure they have the recommended, minimum level of staff to meet the demands on their maternity service.
The figure for the East Midlands remains relatively high at 35.5 and it is a similar picture for London.
These new figures come as the baby boom continues. Births in England remain at a 40 year high with births at their highest since 1971 and the last decade alone saw a 23% increase in births.
Cathy Warwick, the RCM’s Chief Executive, said the figures are ‘worrying and need urgent attention’.
She added: ‘There is not one midwife practising today who has seen this level of births and demands on maternity services.
‘I am constantly meeting midwives and far too often they are telling me of the unprecedented demands on their time and their struggle to deliver the safe, high quality care they aspire to.
‘Though some of these cuts were small, they are cuts nonetheless. Even static levels of funding are a concern given the increasing numbers of births and more complicated pregnancies.’