An experienced midwife claims she is at "breaking point" due to the lack of staff at Wales' biggest maternity unit. The NHS employee, who works at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff, claimed daily shortages of midwives were creating an unsafe environment for mothers and their babies.
She said the maternity unit was currently operating at 25% below staffing capacity due to Cardiff and Vale University Health Board's failure to recruit and retain its workforce. Managers in the unit have had to "beg" midwives to cover vacant shifts to ease the pressure on those on duty, she claims.
"The trust is unable to retain its staff because we are overworked and undervalued so those who continue to turn up shift after shift are completely burnt out and either quit the profession we all love, and worked tremendously hard to be in, or end up on long-term sick due to stress and significant mental health issues," she said.
