Hansard

Midwives: Manpower

Volume 489: debated on Tuesday 17 March 2009

Download text
Back to top Previous debate Next debate
Mr. Lansley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what mechanism his Department is using to ensure that the 4,000 extra midwives to be provided by 2012 are being provided at a local level in the NHS; (262285)

(2) how many of the 4,000 extra midwives to be provided by 2012 have already been provided; and how many he expects will be provided in each year to 2012.

Ann Keen

The number of midwives increased by 624 between September 2006 and September 2007. The following table sets out strategic health authority (SHA) projections for midwives up to 2012.

NHS midwife headcount and projections in England

SHA

20061

20071

20082

20093

20123

East Midlands

1,703

1,692

1,811

1,792

1,942

East of England

2,326

2,380

2,416

2,439

2,586

London

4,301

4,188

4,612

4,402

4,720

North East

1,272

1,284

1,323

1,323

1,390

North West

3,949

4,030

3,908

4,193

4,437

South Central

1,550

1,787

1,726

1,855

2,329

South East Coast

1,760

1,808

1,865

2,368

2,538

South West

2,370

2,344

2,523

2,556

2,875

West Midlands

2,770

2,750

2,933

2,924

3,063

Yorks and Humber

2,443

2,460

2,455

2,492

2,644

England total

24,444

24,723

25,572

26,344

28,524

1 Actual data from work force census.

2 Estimate of electronic staff records plus bank staff at 30 September 2007. Actual 2008 NHS work force census figures to be published on 25 March 2009.

3 Predictions based on current estimates and work force trends.

The NHS operating framework 2009-10 already provides a strong steer on making demonstrable overall improvements in maternity services, including 4,000 more midwives by 2012, contingent on the birth rate.