THE government must offer financial support for midwifery students or face even further shortages in the sector, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) warned today. 

Speaking at the TUC women’s conference, the union called for an urgent review of financial support for midwifery students. 

Following cuts to bursaries in 2017, midwifery student applications fell by 30 per cent and 40,000 vacancies were recorded last year. 

Over three-quarters of students are forced to rely on financial support from families and friends, while six in 10 had got into debt, according to research by RCM. 

RCM employment relations adviser Alice Sorby said: “This policy adversely impacts women, as midwifery is almost entirely a female career. 

“The combination of study, clinical placements and, in many cases, caring responsibilities for children mean that taking a part-time job simply isn’t a viable option. Instead, they face accruing thousands of pounds of debt which they will have to repay from their NHS salary.”

Ms Sorby warned that if applications continue to drop, the future midwife workforce could be “seriously threatened.”