Yesterday I attended the Maternity APPG which was focussed on safer staffing, representing GBSS. It was a constructive and respectful discussion on safer staffing. One thing that stood out was the tone. MPs, clinicians, policy makers and people with lived experience listened to each other. That is so important because safe staffing isn’t a single issue and it cannot be solved from one perspective alone.
We heard that many midwives are routinely working beyond their contracted hours, and about the moral injury this creates when staff know what safe care looks like but don’t have the capacity to deliver it. Safe staffing came through as more than numbers. It is about time, training, experience and culture.
Lived experience reminded us that when expertise is stretched or missing, small things can be overlooked. Those moments may not be small for families – they can stay with families for a lifetime.
Burnout risks safety too. You cannot expect people to care safely for others if they are not supported themselves.
Safe staffing is not the whole answer, but it can enable everything else – better conversations, better care and safer outcomes.
It was so encouraging to see MPs, clinicians, policy makers and people with lived experience listening and learning together.
Jane Plumb MBE FRCOG
Chief Executive & Co-Founder
Group B Strep Support
