A MIDWIFERY lecturer insisted yesterday that Labour back up its promise of 3,000 more midwives by tackling spiralling stress levels that force thousands to leave the NHS every year.

“We don’t just simply need more midwives, their working environment needs to be improved to stop so many leaving the profession,” said Birmingham City University’s Alison Edwards.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has promised to preserve the NHS by injecting an extra £2.5 billion into it every year and committed to one-to-one midwife care.

But Ms Edwards said the plans did nothing to tackle the 30 per cent of NHS sickness absence that is caused by stress.

A third of midwives leave the profession within 10 years of qualifying.

“Many midwives work part-time, yet the stress and sickness rates are still very high,” said Ms Edwards.

“So many midwives have such hectic workloads that they’re working for free and over their contracted hours.”