NEARLY seven in 10 midwives in Wales said that most of their shifts were unsafely staffed over the past month, a survey has found.

More than nine in 10 — 94 per cent - also believed staffing levels directly affect the care they can provide to women and babies, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Cymru poll revealed on Wednesday.

In the first week of June, 79 per cent of respondents said their unit was not safely staffed — and over the past month, 68 per cent said staffing felt unsafe on more than half of their shifts.

The data also shows that eight in 10 midwives in Wales have considered leaving the profession in the last year, with staffing levels and safety fears cited as the primary factors.

RCM Cymru director Julie Richards said: “Midwives are dedicated professionals who want to deliver the safest possible care for women and families. 

“The fact that so many feel unsafe staffing levels affects the care they can give should be a wake-up call to the Welsh government and employers alike.”

The survey also found that unpaid overtime has become routine, with 77 per cent working extra unpaid hours in a single working week, with one in five working more than five hours beyond their contracted time for nothing.

A third of respondents did not have 24 consecutive hours free from work during the week surveyed, and two in five did not get the 11 hours of uninterrupted rest every 24 hours that working time regulations are meant to guarantee.

The Welsh government said: “We are grateful for the work of RCM Cymru on this survey, and we take the findings with the utmost seriousness.

“A long-term overarching workforce strategy for NHS Wales will be developed in partnership and published in the autumn. This timetable reflects our commitment to getting it right as quickly as possible.”