Information for the public
Checking there are enough midwives available each day
Checking there are enough midwives available each day
The hospital board and senior managers should make sure that there are midwives who have been trained to check that there are enough midwives available every day and what to do if there aren't enough.
At the start of every day or shift, the midwife in charge of the unit or the shift should check that there are enough midwives to give women and babies the midwifery care they need. When they are doing their checks they should take into account the particular needs of the women and babies being cared for on that day or during the shift. They should also allow for the time midwives need for other activities, such as time to talk to other healthcare professionals, travel and have breaks.
During the day or shift, the midwife in charge should look out for 'red flag events'. These are signs that there may not be enough midwives to give women and babies the care they need.
Red flag events: signs that there may not be enough midwives available
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Activities that need to be done on time are delayed or cancelled. After giving birth, a woman has to wait for 60 minutes or more before she is washed or given stitches, if she needs them. A woman does not get the medicines she needs when she's been admitted to a hospital or a midwifery-led maternity unit. A woman has to wait 30 minutes or more to get pain relief when she's been admitted to a hospital maternity unit or a midwifery-led maternity unit. A woman who is in labour or who has a problem needing midwife care has to wait 30 minutes or more for assessment after the midwife has been alerted. A woman is not given a full examination when she reports she is in labour. There is a delay of 2 hours or more between coming in for an induction and the induction being started. Delays in spotting and acting on signs that the woman may have a serious health problem. |
The midwife in charge should do another check that there is the right number of midwives available if:
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there is an unexpected need for more midwives – for example because there are more women than expected in labour or more women or babies needing extra care or support
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there is unexpected staff absence, such when midwives are off work because they are ill
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a red flag event happens.
The midwife in charge should keep a record of any differences between the number of midwives needed and those actually available for each day or shift. They should also record any red flag events and the action taken as a result.
Each maternity service should have a plan for what the midwife in charge should do if the checks show that there are not enough midwives available. If this happens, they need to be able to act quickly, for example by asking other trained staff to help or bringing in more midwives.
See what you can do for information about what women, and their families or carers, can do if they think there is a problem.