Healthcare

Delivering new routes into midwifery and maternity support

Degree-level apprenticeships are delivering a workable solution to the UK's chronic shortage of midwives and maternity support workers.

NHS figures show that midwife numbers grew by more than 1,100 to 23,396 in the 12 months to January 2024 - thanks, in part, to the arrival of new routes into the profession.

This increase has been broadly welcomed by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), who would now like to see midwifery apprenticeships developed further.

In its guide How to Fix the Midwifery Staffing Crisis, published in January 2024, it says apprenticeships, primarily for maternity support workers (MSWs) already working in the NHS, "are a real success, enabling those from a broader range of backgrounds to qualify."

The RCM supports plans by the previous UK government to see 5% of new midwives enter the profession in England through apprenticeships by 2028. It wants this route expanded and extended beyond England, with funding made available to replace MSW staff who leave, as happens already with nursing apprenticeships.

Applying for a midwifery apprentice

Midwifery Degree Apprenticeships, approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, are available to all maternity support workers, or other healthcare employees working for the NHS. Tuition fees are covered by the NHS Employer Partner Trust and apprentices are paid at the same rate as MSWs for the duration of their course.

Course content

Several higher education institutions across England now offer midwifery degree apprenticeships including the universities of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire New, Central Lancashire, Derby, Staffordshire, Wolverhampton, Greenwich, Birmingham, West London, East London, Winchester, Cumbria, UWE Bristol and Huddersfield.

Midwifery degree apprenticeships last four years and cover the same content as traditional three-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) degrees. The apprentices divide their time between on-the-job learning on the hospital ward/maternity unit and university and must complete an end-point assessment to pass their course.

These courses have been designed to equip learners with the skills, knowledge and behaviours required to work as a registered midwife. Degree apprentices will learn how to support and care for mums and babies during pregnancy, childbirth and postnatally.

Using OneFile to assist delivery

Demand for degree apprenticeship looks set to grow as the NHS seeks to address skills shortages, deal with employee attrition and find alternative ways of attracting people from all backgrounds to midwifery careers.

And Onefile can help employers and training providers to deliver. We can support NHS Employer Partner Trusts to use levy funding as well as tracking degree apprentices' work and study.

To find out more about using your levy to deliver NHS apprenticeships, download your apprenticeship levy starter pack: NHS edition.