Midwives are an essential part of society in the UK. They are in high demand and don’t seem their popularity will go down anytime soon. The vacancy rates of midwives are a lot higher compared to other professions. If you are planning to become a midwife, get ready to earn all the benefits. It is a solid career choice in the UK, and you will have a wealth of job opportunities. You have the option to work in both the public and private sectors, depending on your experience and skills. But how much does a midwife earn? Let’s find out more.
What is the role of a midwife?
Under certain circumstances and/or depending on the requirements of other individuals, the midwives can also attend to others who give birth. They help women in pregnancy, labor, and delivery, and the postpartum period. They often achieve steady, trusting relationships with families and provide professional, clinical guidance and support, as well as education.
- Typical jobs are:
- Recommending pregnancy, diet, and delivery procedures, and monitoring the mother’s and foetal health
- Having someone in a hospital or within the neighbourhood
- Handling crises during childbirth
- Providing postpartum support to new parents
- Midwives are employed in clinics, hospitals, birthing units, and the general public. Some focus on antenatal education, high-risk situations, or home deliveries.
How to become a midwife in the UK?
A faster path to becoming a midwife is available to adult registered nurses who have completed a condensed, about 18-month midwifery degree. With an emphasis on midwifery-specific practice, this path expands on their prior nursing education and experience. It increases employment opportunities in the healthcare industry by allowing dual registration with the NMC as a nurse and a midwife. A further route is through midwifery degree apprenticeships, which span roughly four years and involve both paid practical labor and academic study. For people who want to make money while they learn and are currently employed in the health sector, this is a good option. Additionally, apprenticeships lead to professional registration and adhere to NMC education criteria.
Can a midwife become a nurse in the UK?
The two professions of midwifery and nursing are complementary yet independent regulated professions in UK health care, under the regulation of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Although nurses work in a diverse set of health care facilities, the specialization of midwives regarding pregnancy, delivery, and the care of expectant women. The Midwives must thoroughly train and register; this means that a registered midwife must go into special training and registration requirements designed by the NMC to become a nurse; they have no option of transferring their registration.
A midwife must finish an authorized nursing education program to be able to legally practice nursing in the UK. Many colleges provide accelerated or condensed nursing degree programs specifically designed for registered midwives in recognition of the overlap in healthcare expertise. These courses, which usually run 18 to 24 months, give midwives the clinical experience and theoretical understanding they need to practice nursing specialties other than midwifery. They are eligible to apply for NMC registration as a nurse after completing this training.
Besides educational requirements, candidates must also meet the NMC requirements in the areas of competency, good health, and good character. The midwife also has to demonstrate English proficiency on such tests as OET or IELTS, for which they were trained. After successfully finishing the program of nursing studies and fulfilling those requirements, candidates are then required to tender professional references and supporting records in the registration procedure overseen by the NMC.
Once the midwives have acquired their nursing licence, they may be employed in many other nursing fields, including critical care, pediatric, adult, and mental health nursing. In addition to increasing their career options, this change enables them to work in healthcare areas other than maternity services.
What qualifications do you need to be a midwife in the UK?
UK midwife appointments must first complete a midwifery degree course registered under and regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). This is a full-time, 3-year-to-complete Bachelor of Science (BSc) course in midwifery. The course introduces students to a theory and practical experience in maternity care by blending classroom teaching with a combination of clinical placements in hospitals, community-based, and midwife-based units. Graduates wishing to get registered as a midwife in the UK must seek registration of the profession with the NMC.
To enter these programs, a minimum of five GCSEs combining the requirements of English, maths, and scientific courses, often at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), is expected.
The applicants are also expected to possess two or three A-levels or similar qualifications at level 3; T-levels or BTEC. Universities sometimes require certain social science or science classes, evidence of good character, and good health. There is the possibility of requiring the additional submission of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and a health questionnaire owing to the nature of working with vulnerable groups.
There is a fast-track lane for adult nurses who have provided registration. To acquire midwifery registration, nurses enroll in an abbreviated midwifery degree program that is typically 18 to 24 months. This route mainly emphasises the skills and the knowledge necessary in practicing midwifery without necessarily negating their prior experience and training as nurses.
Alternatively, a degree apprenticeship is also possible; this is a four-year degree-level program blended with paid work. This option is good for people who already work in the healthcare industry, as it gives a chance to earn money and learn simultaneously, and obtain both theoretical and practical experience.
How often does a midwife visit after birth in the UK?
In the UK, midwife visitation normally commences as soon as a woman has been discharged from hospital or when she has borne her child at home. The first visit with the midwife allows her to certify that mother and child are healthy and functioning well; this visit usually takes place on the day before or after departure home. The nature of follow-ups includes visits on the 3rd, 5th, and 10th days of birth.
Within the frames of these postnatal visits, the midwife checks the weight of the baby to control him/her and feeding, and the vital signs are also measured the temperature of the mother, pulse, and pressure are checked. Additionally, the midwife supports the process of feeding the baby and eliminates the issues related to the physical and mental well-being of the mother and the baby.
Assuming all goes well, around day 10 post-delivery, the care of the midwife is usually over. A health visitor is then assigned where or she continues to continue guiding and monitoring the growth of the baby as well as the transition of the family over some weeks. The midwife can, however, keep visiting at this point after this time to provide additional care and advice in case of a problem or a request for additional help.
How much does a midwife earn in the UK?
The average Midwife’s pay in the UK is estimated to be £34,000 to £38,000 a year. However, this is a certain range that may change due to other factors. The majority of midwives are working in the NHS, and the pay scale will be generally lower than usual. It also requires a lot of experience before you see an increase in payment.
Interestingly third of midwives in the UK are above the age of 50. They are earning much more than newly qualified midwives in the UK. The average salary of a midwife in the private sector will be somewhere around the £35,000 mark. However, it may be challenging to find the exact figure in some cases.
If you are an entry-level midwife, expect to earn an average of £27,100 gross per year. Being a mid-career midwife, you can expect to earn £35,200. This will be possible only with 4-9 years of experience. The senior midwife who boasts 10-20 years’ experience can earn £44,500. If you are a midwife with more than 20 years of experience, it will be easy to earn £48,800 on average.
How much does a midwife working at the NHS Get Paid?
NHS salaries are arranged to keep in mind the transparent banding system. When the midwife is fully qualified, they will start working at Band 5. This means they can have a starting salary of £27,055. Within each band, you will notice an increment in annual payments. If you are working at Band 5, it is possible to earn £32,934 due to increments.
When you have more experience in this field, it will allow you to work in higher bands. The Band 6 role will start at around £33,706. The most special Band 7 role will help you earn more than £40,000 a year.
How much does a midwife working in the private sector earn?
When it comes to the private sector, pay is not necessarily regulated. The average salary for a midwife in the UK working in the private sector will be £35,000. NHS pay scale states that immediately qualified midwives generally start on Band 5, with salaries that range around £28,407 annually or approximately £2,300 midwife salary UK per month before tax is taken off. It is very much in line with the workers working at the NHS. However, the salary for a midwife working at a private hospital may be different. Usually, the benefits package is not as good as the NHS. It is necessary to understand that the payments for private positions remain flexible and easy to negotiate. Whatever you want to earn will depend largely on your expertise and skill.
What does the future look like for midwife salaries?
You will be surprised to know that labor shortages are becoming a hindrance in the midwifery sector. Since COVID-19, the situation is becoming even more intense. During this pandemic situation, for a midwife has become much more difficult than being a nurse. However, midwives continue to be hopeful for getting some bonuses or an increase in their salary. The only key to increasing salary is to learn more skills and have good experience. If you have a master’s degree, it will be even better to get a better salary with a few years’ experience.
What is the starting salary of a midwife in the UK?
The highest midwife job UK salary will be around £65,000 in one year. When it comes to Consultant Midwives or Band 8 Midwives, they usually have the highest salaries. There are a lot of ways in which you can try to improve the pay scale. When you have achieved the status of a midwife, the next step will be to become a ward manager or team leader.