Angry midwives stormed Parliament House this month to protest the Palaszczuk government’s budget failure, amid national midwife shortages threatening to plunge the sector into further crisis.

The Queensland government provided $42 million in maternity funding in the budget but made no allocation for midwives and midwife-led models of care, the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union said.

The union said staff were severely overloaded, resulting in unsafe conditions for both mothers and babies, and called for immediate action from Health Minister Shannon Fentiman.

Associate Professor Amanda Carter said a recent audit found 11 per cent of midwives were looking after 20 mothers and babies in one shift.

“It isn’t possible to provide quality care with those numbers,” Assoc Prof Carter said.

“Midwives are working double shifts and working overtime. The mums and babies aren’t getting the care they deserve, and the midwives are becoming burnt out and leaving the profession.

Assoc Prof Carter said midwives were increasingly disenfranchised with their own profession, with their calls for midwifery led models of care being largely ignored.

“Midwifery led care produces the best outcomes for mothers and babies. If you have your own midwife throughout the entire journey, it’s a better outcome overall. You have less chance of premature birth, and better breast feeding outcomes.

Assoc Prof Carter is part of the Council of Deans, Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Group, who developed the Future of the Midwifery Workforce report. She said the report outlined six strategies, which covered midwifery leadership, addressing
burnout, expanding models of care, addressing placement for students. 

“It’s becoming more uneconomical to become a midwifery student. You’re expected to do long hours of placement, it’s not paid. Some students are homeless, forgoing food just to pay for parking at the hospital, and the other costs involved.”

Assoc Prof Carter said the government needed to consider a bursary or scholarship program to increase participation.

“We’ve got a workforce crisis, why should students be out of pocket to join the profession, when we’ve got a health crisis,” she said.

Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union (QNMU) Secretary Kate Veach said a second Count the Babies audit of public and privately hospitals revealed workloads and conditions in Queensland maternity wards were increasingly unsafe and unacceptable.

“Almost 50 per cent of midwives involved in the audit said mothers in their care had complex needs and required high levels of care.

“This simply is not safe. Midwives are deeply concerned for the wellbeing of Queensland mothers, babies and their colleagues who are experiencing unsafe workloads and burnout.”

Assoc Prof said it was about time mothers and babies received the care that they deserved.

“Midwives save lives,” she said.