Australia’s midwifery crisis has been laid bare in a national workforce report, prompting the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) to reiterate calls on state and federal governments, and private employers, to urgently invest and prioritise the profession.

The Midwifery Futures Report highlights the current state of midwifery in Australia, with more than a third of midwives surveyed considering leaving the industry due to poor working conditions.

New South Wales has the lowest number of midwives per capita in the country, with only 104 midwives per 100,000 population. There are 6,600 practicing midwives in the state.

NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary and midwife, Michael Whaites, said the recruitment and retention issues in midwifery required the urgent attention of federal and state governments, and employers in NSW.

“This national workforce report reinforces what we already knew – increasing numbers of midwives are looking to exit the industry due to work-related issues including burnout, understaffing, not feeling valued and poor skill mix,” Mr Whaites said.

“The report makes it clear that to secure the required workforce, we need to encourage midwives to work more hours than they currently do. They won’t do that unless we fix the structural issues of pay, workloads and support.

“In NSW, we urgently need to see midwifery-related ratios implemented in all postnatal wards. Safe staffing levels on all maternity wards is critical to alleviate the pressures midwives are experiencing right now, as they are trying to care for too many women and babies on the one shift.

“We know regional NSW is haemorrhaging midwives with extremely high vacancy rates, including 60% in Tamworth and 16 full time positions in Griffith. Metropolitan areas aren’t immune from the staffing crisis, with hospitals like Campbelltown also experiencing severe shortages. This is resulting in expectant mothers having to travel further to seek the care they require.”

Mr Whaites also acknowledged the need for greater investment in continuity of care models such as Midwifery Group Practice (MGP).

“It’s clear from this national survey that more and more midwives want to work in MGP,” said Mr Whaites.

“We know continuity of care is an increasingly preferred option for midwives. Having the same midwife, or group of midwives, from antenatal through to postnatal care delivers positive outcomes for women and babies. But we also hear issues of workloads and work-life balance under current models.  We’re keen to explore improved models that work for women, and their midwives.

“While we have seen improved recognition of midwifery as a standalone profession to nursing, at many levels the midwifery workforce is still being governed and managed by classifications other than midwives. We need to see strong midwifery leadership as critical for the growth and sustainability of the profession.”

NSWNMA President and midwife, O’Bray Smith, reinforced the urgent need to address workforce challenges including recruitment of midwives.

“We know experienced midwives in NSW are choosing to reduce their hours from full-time to part-time due to the unsustainable working conditions. Many midwives are also choosing to shift to casual so they can take up lucrative placements interstate where the pay and conditions are better,” said Ms Smith.

“With an ageing workforce, it is imperative that there is a collaborative and concerted effort to increase the number of students studying midwifery at university if we are to meet future demand and grow the workforce. We are seeing students dropping out of their course due to placement poverty, poor culture and a lack of training support.

“We need to re-evaluate the way midwifery training in Australia is delivered, in order to support midwives through their education journey. Currently, hospitals cannot support so many students due to the falling numbers of births and increasing complexity of births.

“Governments and private employers must address these workforce challenges so the profession flourishes into the future, and midwives can deliver quality, world-class maternity care to all women and babies for generations to come.”