As the height of summer approaches (and with the weather in England seeming to have caught up to the season!), many of our readers at higher education institutions will no doubt be enjoying a more quiet period before the academic year begins. For those of you involved in practice, I hope that you too will be able to take a well-deserved break over the summer.
Taking time to rest, relax and recuperate from work is more important than ever. The latest data from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2024) highlighted that poor health (physical and mental) and burnout are some of the most common factors in nurses and midwives choosing to leave the professional register. The report also noted that midwives in particular expressed concerns over staffing issues and quality of care (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2024).
Originally launched in 2016 and refreshed in 2022, the Royal College of Midwives' (2024) campaign ‘caring for you’ aims to support midwives' health, safety and wellbeing. On the campaign's webpage, mental wellbeing is the very first section, and various resources are highlighted, including NHS Employers' (2024) emotional wellbeing toolkit.
Addressing mental wellbeing is incredibly important. The impacts of both the COVID-19 pandemic (Office for National Statistics, 2021) and the cost of living crisis (Office for National Statistics, 2022) are still being felt today. The NHS (2024) staff survey from 2023 highlighted that 30% of staff felt burnt out because of their work, with registered nurses and midwives reporting the second highest level of burnout after ambulance operational staff.
I hope that all of our readers will be able to find time to take care of their physical and mental health as summer continues. Whether you can enjoy a holiday abroad or time at home, prioritising your own wellbeing is of vital importance. After all, ensuring that midwives are happy and healthy goes a long way to not only improving burnout but also ensuring that women continue to receive the best possible care from our wonderful community.