It comes as Sky News has been putting a spotlight on maternity care in the UK over the last few months, following the release of a report by the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation.
Newly qualified midwives are having to take up roles in other industries despite "chronic" staff shortages across the sector, according to a new survey.
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) claims almost a third of midwifery graduates are unable to find employment and many are turning to roles in hospitality, retail, office work, and cleaning jobs as a result.
The situation has been called "troubling" by midwifery leaders, at a time when they say "maternity services are struggling with staff shortages".
The RCM surveyed more than 300 newly qualified midwives who had secured their professional registration, at the end of 2025, with 31% saying they had not been able to secure a post.
Many of those who had found employment were working in "less than ideal conditions", according to the RCM, with 55% of those on fixed-term contracts rather than permanent contracts.
Some 53% of those in work said they were not working full-time.
The RCM said there is currently a "disconnect" between the number of midwives in education and the number of "secure and sustainable" roles for them.
The College warned that financial constraints and NHS recruitment freezes are "pushing out" newly qualified midwives before they have even started their careers.
'They are being failed'
Fiona Gibb, the RCM's director of midwifery, said the uncertainty over employment is "having a serious impact on graduates' wellbeing, with many experiencing anxiety, stress, and loss of confidence at the very start of their careers".
Ms Gibb also claimed that a lack of "stable employment" was leading to added financial pressures, with graduates struggling to meet living costs and repay student loans.
She called on the government to invest in permanent posts, adding: "At a time when maternity services are struggling with staff shortages, we should be doing everything we can to bring these newly qualified professionals into the workforce.
"Instead, they are being failed which is undermining the future maternity workforce we so desperately need."
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A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "No one who dedicates themselves to a career in midwifery should be left in limbo, when their skills are so urgently needed to rebuild our NHS .
The spokesperson said the government had delivered 700 additional roles for newly qualified midwives, backed by 058m in funding.
They added: "We now have a record 31,024 midwives working in the NHS, and our 10-year workforce plan will set out how we will train, recruit and retain the midwifery workforce for the long term."
Over the last few months, Sky News has been putting a spotlight on maternity care in the UK , with hundreds of women sharing their stories following the release of an interim report by the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation last year.
Baroness Amos, who is leading the investigation, said "nothing prepared her" for the amount of "unacceptable care" families currently receive.
英国天空新闻台在过去几个月里一直关注着英国的产科护理问题，此前国家孕产妇和新生儿调查机构发布了一份相关报告。
一项最新调查显示，尽管助产行业长期面临人员短缺问题，但新获得资格的助产士却不得不转行进入其他行业工作。
英国皇家助产士学院（RCM）称，近三分之一的助产专业毕业生无法找到工作，许多人因此转而从事酒店服务、零售、文职和清洁等工作。
助产领域的领导者们将这一情况称为“令人担忧”，他们表示当前“产科服务正面临人员短缺的困境”。
英国皇家助产士学会（RCM）在2025年底对300多名新获得职业注册资格的助产士进行了调查，其中31%的受访者表示未能成功获得工作岗位。
英国皇家助产士学会（RCM）指出，许多已就业者处于"不太理想的工作环境"中，其中55%的从业者签订的是固定期限合同而非永久合同。
约53%的在职人员表示，他们并非全职工作。
英国皇家助产士学会（RCM）指出，当前接受教育的助产士数量与能够提供"稳定且可持续"的岗位数量之间存在脱节。
该学院警告称，财政紧缩和英国国民保健服务体系（NHS）的招聘冻结正在导致新获得资格的助产士尚未开启职业生涯就遭到"排挤"。
他们正被辜负
英国皇家助产士学会（RCM）助产学主任菲奥娜·吉布表示，就业的不确定性"对毕业生的身心健康造成了严重影响，许多人在职业生涯伊始就经历了焦虑、压力和信心丧失"。
吉布女士还指出，缺乏"稳定工作"导致经济压力加剧，毕业生们难以负担生活开支和偿还学生贷款。
她呼吁政府投资设立长期岗位，并补充道："在产科服务正面临人员短缺的当下，我们应竭尽所能将这些新获得资格的专业人才引入 workforce。"
相反，他们正遭遇失败，这正在破坏我们迫切需要的未来产科医护队伍。
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英国卫生与社会保障部发言人表示："助产士们将毕生奉献给这一职业，当国家医疗服务体系（NHS）重建亟需她们的技能时，绝不该让她们陷入进退两难的困境。"
发言人表示，政府已为 newly qualified midwives（新获得资格的助产士）新增700个岗位，并获得5800万英镑资金支持。
他们补充道："目前英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）雇用的助产士人数已达到创纪录的31,024名。我们的十年人力资源规划将详细说明如何长期培养、招聘和留住助产士队伍。"
过去几个月来，英国天空新闻台持续聚焦该国产科护理问题。自去年国家孕产妇和新生儿调查机构发布中期报告后，已有数百名女性分享了她们的经历。
负责此次调查的阿莫斯女男爵表示，当前家庭所受到的"难以接受的照料"程度令她"始料未及"。
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