The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is a British midwives organisation founded in 1881 by Louisa Hubbard and Zepherina Veitch. It has existed under its present name since 1947, and is the United Kingdom's only trade union or professional organisation for midwives and those that support them. Gill Walton is the current Chief Executive. [1]
The precursor of the College was the Matron's Aid Society later known as the Trained Midwives Registration Society, set up in London in 1881 by Louisa Hubbard, Zepherina Veitch and some of her colleagues. [2] Its aim was to "raise the efficiency and improve the status of midwives and to petition parliament for their recognition". Shortly afterwards its name was changed to the Midwives' Institute and there followed a period of about twenty years of campaigning before the government was persuaded to regulate the profession. The Midwives' Act was passed in 1902 and after that it was illegal for any unqualified person in England or Wales to act as a midwife. Similar legislation was implemented in Scotland in 1915 and in Northern Ireland in 1922. [3]
The training of midwives was done by the Central Midwives' Board. Lectures were given and a journal was produced. The fees charged by midwives were low and if a doctor was needed to assist at the birth, further fees were required by him. By 1901 the Institute had established a scheme for providing insurance for midwives who were forced to be in quarantine after attending a case of puerperal fever, had to defend themselves at inquests or pay fees to doctors. By 1919, local authorities were required to pay the doctor's fee and then recoup the sum back from the family. The Institute continued to campaign and in 1936, the Midwives' Act was passed. This encouraged training, introduced a diploma for those who passed an examination and instituted five-yearly refresher courses. The Institute undertook a study into why the maternal death rate was so high. In 1941, it changed its name to the College of Midwives and in 1947, it was given a royal charter by King George VI. [3]
The Royal College of Midwives has a Board consisting of qualified midwives which governs and manages the organisation. It also has a charitable organisation, the RCM Trust, which funds research, provides information to the public, provides education and training to its members and organises meetings, conferences and other events. The RCM Trust has a trading arm and runs the Benevolent Fund to assist members in need of financial assistance. [4]
The RCM is affiliated to the TUC. [5]
The Royal College of Midwives is a full member of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and the European Association of Midwives (EMA).
The Royal College of Midwives staged its first ever strike on 13 October 2014 in protest against the decision that only NHS staff at the top of their pay band would receive a 1% pay increase, while the remaining 55% of the workforce would only get annual incremental rises. [6]
The Royal College of Midwives has two leadership positions: the chief executive is in charge of the day-to-day management of the college, and the President is the ceremonial figurehead and main ambassadorial representative. [7]
Gladys Beaumont Carter led the organisation in the 1930s. Her research led to the first university department for nursing in Europe. [14]
HCSA - the hospital doctors' union is a nationally recognised professional association and trade union in the UK dedicated solely to hospital consultants, specialty doctors and core/specialty hospital doctors in training and Foundation grades, originally established in 1948 as the Regional Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the regulator for nursing and midwifery professions in the UK. The NMC maintains a register of all nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses and nursing associates eligible to practise within the UK. It sets and reviews standards for their education, training and onduct epic super epic performances. The NMC also investigates allegations of impaired fitness to practise.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a registered trade union and professional body in the United Kingdom for those in the profession of nursing. It was founded in 1916 as the College of Nursing, receiving its royal charter in 1928. Queen Elizabeth II was the patron until her death in 2022, King Charles III continued the royal connection and became patron in 2024. The majority of members are registered nurses; however student nurses and healthcare assistants are also members. There is also a category of membership, at a reduced cost, for retired people.
Nursing in the United Kingdom is the largest health care profession in the country. It has evolved from assisting doctors to encompass a variety of professional roles. Over 700,000 registered nurses practice, working in settings such as hospitals, health centres, nursing homes, hospices, communities, military, prisons, and academia. Most are employed by the National Health Service (NHS).
Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital is one of the oldest maternity hospitals in Europe, founded in 1739 in London. Until October 2000, it occupied sites in Marylebone Road and at 339–351 Goldhawk Road, Hammersmith, but is now located between East Acton and White City, adjacent to the Hammersmith Hospital. It is managed by the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
Dame Lorna Elizabeth Muirhead is a past President of the Royal College of Midwives and from 2006 until her retirement in 2017 she served as the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside.
Dame Karlene Cecile Davis, DBE is a former General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Midwifery, Regional Representative for Europe in the International Confederation of Midwives, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, and a member of the Wellbeing Council at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Dame Mary Rosalind Paget, DBE, ARRC, was a noted British nurse, midwife and reformer. She was the first superintendent, later inspector general, of the Queen's Jubilee Institute for District Nursing, which was renamed as the Queen's Institute of District Nursing in 1928 and as the Queen's Nursing Institute in 1973.
A monthly nurse is a woman who looks after a mother and her baby during the postpartum or postnatal period. The phrase is now largely obsolete, but the role is still performed under other names and conditions worldwide.
Ágnes Geréb is a Hungarian gynaecologist, midwife and psychologist. She is the pioneer of including paternal participation in deliveries of children at hospitals and in homebirths in Hungary. She founded the Napvilág birthing centre. Geréb has helped deliver 3,500 babies at home.
Zepherina Philadelphia Smith was an English nurse and social reformer who promoted increased education and training for midwives. Her work led to the Royal College of Midwives.
Midwives magazine is a bi-monthly magazine produced for members of the Royal College of Midwives. It covers all aspects of maternity care, including clinical practice, education and research. It is published by Redactive Media Group on behalf of the Royal College of Midwives. It has a circulation of nearly 42,000.
A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialisation known as midwifery.
Dame Catherine Lilian "Cathy" Warwick is a Scottish midwife, trade union leader, and abortion rights activist. She has been the Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives from 2008 until 2017, and is also Chair of Trustees of BPAS, one of the UK's leading providers of abortion services.
A death midwife, or death doula, is a person who assists in the dying process, much like a midwife or doula does with the birthing process. It is often a community based role, aiming to help families cope with death, recognizing it as a natural and important part of life. The role can supplement and go beyond hospice. These Specialist perform a large variety of services, including but not limited to creating death plans, and providing spiritual, psychological, and social support before and just after death. Their role can also include more logistical activities, helping with services, planning funerals and memorial services, and guiding mourners in their rights and responsibilities.
Professor Lesley Ann Page CBE, MSc, BA, RM, RMT is a British midwife and academic, and was President of the Royal College of Midwives.
Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE was England's first Chief Midwifery Officer and Professor of Midwifery at King's College London and London South Bank University.
The 2022–present National Health Service (NHS) strikes are several ongoing industrial disputes in the publicly funded health services of the United Kingdom.
Gladys Beaumont Carter was a British academic nurse, economist and writer. Her research led to the first academic university department for nursing in Europe at the University of Edinburgh.
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