Health Secretary agrees to meet RCM midwives and MSWs to discuss growing maternity crisis in England
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Royal College of Midwives 
@MidwivesRCM
Royal College of Midwives is the voice of midwifery, the UK’s only trade union & professional organisation led by midwives for midwives & MSWs.
United KingdomJoined April 2011
Royal College of Midwives 💙’s Tweets
Race to lunch: Race Matters Project Midwife. Join us on 11 January to meet the new Race Matters Project Midwife and hear about the #RaceMatters agenda. Book free today:
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As we get ever closer to the new year, we wanted to share some key headlines that made an impact in 2022
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The silence from him, or indeed anyone in his private office, has been deafening. Is this really the message you want to send #Midwives and #MSWs, Steve? That they don't even warrant an acknowledgement? 2/2
#StillNoSignOfSteve
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It's now been a week - a full seven days - since we wrote to inviting him to meet with us and our members to discuss the crisis in maternity care. We sent it to four different email addresses for him. And we've very helpfully posted the letter on Twitter too 1/2
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To support midwives in facilitating personalised care and women’s choices, including when those fall outside clinical recommendations, we have produced this professional briefing: buff.ly/3ve3S5n
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RCM rejects latest pay offer from the Scottish Government. More here: buff.ly/3BU7pK1 #DeliveraDecentDeal
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To call this disingenuous would be an understatement. has made it clear that pay isn't on the table, and there has been lip service at best to the other issues around conditions and staff shortages.
The buck stops with you, Health Secretary.
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I hugely value the work of our NHS staff & it’s disappointing some union members are going ahead with further strike action - my door remains open to further talks.
Unions have called for industrial action to cause maximum disruption & inevitably this will have an impact (1/3)
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RCM rejects latest pay offer from the Scottish Government. More here: buff.ly/3BU7pK1 #DeliveraDecentDeal
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Maternity services will continue to run as normal during the #AmbulanceStrikes, but there is additional advice for women going into labour or planning a home birth. 👇 #SolidarityWithAmbulanceStaff
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It's been six days since we wrote to Health Secretary to ask him to sit down with us to talk about the growing crisis in #maternity, with the #midwives and #MSWs who know it best and know what it takes to fix it - but #StillNoSignOfSteve
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The role of the workplace representatives cannot be underestimated. Without these activists in the workplace, our branches would not be as strong as they are. Explore the RCM activists hub to find out how to become an RCM rep: buff.ly/3qYTpc7
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Reasoned, calm rebuttal of ministers' cynical talking points. She's right. The staff that are there are incredible. There are just too few of them in a system that's at breaking point. Politicians need to listen - and most importantly, they need to act.
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Mum of wee girl with life-limiting condition tells Health Sec Steve Barclay of “agony” of waiting lists.
“The damage you’re doing to families like ourselves is terrible. I know you look & we’re all numbers but actually we’re people waiting for care”.
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MISSING: It's 5 days since we wrote to to ask him to meet with us, our #midwives and #MSWs. Still no word from him, not even an acknowledgement. So, if you happen to see him, could you let him know we're dying to hear from him?
#StillNoSignOfSteve
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Last week wrote to for an urgent meeting on maternity crisis. he hasn’t even acknowledged receipt. This is posturing and disingenuous #deliveradecentdeal
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Join us on 19 January for an inspirational masterclass with to engage midwives and MSWs and help you feel empowered to unlock your full potential. Book today:
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Earlier this week we wrote to asking him to meet with frontline maternity staff to help him understand members frustration. Read more: buff.ly/3YqgJyW #DeliveraDecentDeal
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What can the RCM offer midwives in their early career? Join us on 18 January for a virtual webinar to share a new set of benefits for midwives just starting out in their career. Book free today: buff.ly/3Fy9MDl
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If you still have your late ballot papers please complete and return them. The might not count towards the threshold but we can still make an impact with results, showing policy makers our true turnout and feeling #DeliveraDecentDeal
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So, it's been two days since we sent this to you, - & we sent it to 4 different email addresses for you, just to make absolutely sure you'd see it. Still no word back from you, though. Maternity services and the amazing staff that work in them deserve your attention
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We have today called on @SteveBarclay to meet with frontline #maternity staff to help him understand their frustration. Read more below and here: rcm.org.uk/media-releases
#midwives #NHS
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Join us on 11 January for our first Race to lunch of the year! This is a communal platform for members and non members to form discussions that boost cultural awareness, networking, allyship and encourages collaborative learning. Book free today: buff.ly/3XvRj2i
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And we as union members must fight to protect this freedom...#strongertogether #solidarity as an member I will fight to.protect this.
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The right to strike is a fundamental British liberty.
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We want you to have your say on the latest Scottish Government pay offer. The RCM consultation has been extended to 19 December, head over to rcm.org.uk/pay-hub/scotla and make your voice heard. #DeliveraDecentDeal
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Taking industrial action is the last resort for a reason: no nurse, ambulance worker, physio or midwife wants to do it, but sometimes it's the only option when faced with Government belligerence. Today we stand with colleagues up and down the country #SolidarityWithNurses
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The best way to keep people safe - whether that's those using the NHS or those working within it - is to invest in it properly. Maternity services are on their knees, Mr Barclay. Meet with us, with our members, and hear first hand what years of underinvestment has done.
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Strikes are in no one’s interest, least of all patients.
My priority as Health & Social Care Secretary is to keep people as safe as possible.
Read my article in the @DailyMailUK here 
dailymail.co.uk/debate/article
dailymail.co.uk/debate/article34
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The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) strike ballot result was so strong:
47% turnout and 88% for strike action.
A huge vote for strike action. No politician in the country gets elected with votes this high. It is far higher for YES to strike than for Leave in the Brexit referendum
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Hear hear - narrowly meeting a punitive double threshold does not change the urgency of resolving poor pay, workforce crisis, health workers using foodbanks, low staff morale
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We have today called on @SteveBarclay to meet with frontline #maternity staff to help him understand their frustration. Read more below and here: rcm.org.uk/media-releases
#midwives #NHS
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We have today called on to meet with frontline #maternity staff to help him understand their frustration. Read more below and here: rcm.org.uk/media-releases
#midwives #NHS
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We threw everything at this but govt rules make achieving a double threshold almost impossible. 40% of all members signalled willingness to strike that remains a powerful message. The fight continues
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Tragic that only 47% @MidwivesRCM members voted & even though 88% of those that did so voted for industrial action it doesn’t meet the threshold. So we are destined to have little political clout & remain undervalued & underpaid. There is a lot of disillusion, burnout & anger 
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Civica will count those ballots returned and we will share with members - and with policy-makers - what impact this would have had on turnout and outcomes. If your colleagues aren't on Twitter, please share this with them! 2/2
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📢📢📢IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
We know many members received ballot papers AFTER the ballot closed because of the postal strikes & so were unable to have their voices counted. If this applies to you, PLEASE STILL RETURN YOUR COMPLETED BALLOT in the enclosed return envelope. 1/2
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Listen to Director Julie Richards on at bbc.in/2yMl0ll shortly at 17.35 talking about the yes vote for industrial action in the Wales pay ballot.
#DeliveraDecentDeal
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In a clear and defiant message to the RCM members in Wales have voted yes to industrial action, read more at bit.ly/3FnExuM
#DeliveraDecentDeal
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A huge thank you to everyone who voted in the England pay ballot! Find out the results here: buff.ly/3UUK6Xl we will be in touch with RCM members on the next steps
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A huge thank you to the RCM members in Wales who voted in the industrial action ballot! Find out the results here: buff.ly/3FMU1JT #DeliveraDecentDeal
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Have you voted in the consultation on the latest pay offer? If not have your say in the short survey here: buff.ly/3B3ZidA
#DeliveraDecentDeal
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friend & colleague supports midwives fight for investment in the NHS and fair pay
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“The government are holding down nurses pay while lifting the cap on bankers bonuses.
It tells me the government are on the side of the wealthy, not on the side of working people.”
Speaking to @SkyNews on the hypocrisy of the Conservatives
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Thanks to all our members who voted in our England & Wales ballot on industrial action over pay. The ballot has now closed. We will be emailing our members with the result of the ballot very soon #DeliveraDecentDeal #IVoted
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A great opportunity for #midwives. There is a webinar for more info on 16/01/23. See link for more details.
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