Born Free at the Point of Use with a Full Range of Birthing Choices

Well, here's a thing: Patsy Hackitt, the Nurses' Friend, who has been promising home births, midwife services and choice, choice, choice whether you like it or not, has been talking a special delivery of warm, brown nappy filler. Two thirds of English regions don't even have enough midwives to cope with present demands, which means that the Government's promise to offer all maternal resources in Tony's Choice Emporium three glittering, spangly possibilities by 2009 starts to look a bit optimistic. The Royal College of Midwives has said that there would need to be a "radical recruitment programme" and "an onus on health authorities to employ more midwives", and Patsy Hackitt, the Nurses' Friend, has said that the budget for maternity services will not be increased; so it is difficult to see where all the extra midwives will be found. Perhaps, as so often, the Government plans to draft in uterine contractors from the private sector; or perhaps the existing midwives will be expected to reorganise their rotas for the convenience of the Ministry of Health and Profit. "In some parts of the country we must and will do more, like developing more training places, bringing in flexible working and finding innovative ways to fill hard-to-fill vacancies," a spokesbeing said, which seems to confirm the worst.