NHS maternity units will still be short-staffed despite surge in number of midwives

Officials say NHS maternity units will likely remain short-staffed despite a recent surge in the number of midwives promised by the Government. The number of births handled by each midwife has increased over the past several years—the average midwife is now delivering nearly 25% more babies per year than is allowed under current safety standards. Many worry that this could be placing mothers and their babies at risk.