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Royal College of Midwives

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The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is a British midwives organisation founded in 1881 by Louisa Hubbard and Zepherina Smith. 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. The organisation is a professional association and a trade union that provides guidance and support for midwives both socially and professionally.[1] The RCM is the only midwifery organisation in the United Kingdom run by and for midwives.[2] Gill Walton is the current chief executive, and Sophie Russell is the current president.[3][4] As of April 2025, the organisation currently has over 50,000 members and is the largest maternity entity in the world.[5]

History

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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.[6] It aimed to "raise the efficiency and improve the status of midwifery" and to petition parliament for their recognition.[7] They wanted to give mothers and their children the proper care they longed for. 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.[8]

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. They 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.[8] By 1955, the Royal College of Midwives had over 10,000 members.[9] This led C. S. B. Wentworth-Stanley, a chairman on the appeal and building committee in the United Kingdom, to request a new building for the organisation's headquarters.[10]

Mission statement

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The Royal College of Midwives supports its members by guiding and training them to succeed in the professional world. The association's mission statement is to "enhance the confidence, professional practice and influence of midwives for the benefit of childbearing women and their families."[11] The college emphasizes values of integrity, openness and transparency in its services.

Pillars of service

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  • Promoting midwifery, quality maternity services, and professional standards[11]
  • Supporting its members, individually and collectively[11]
  • Influencing on behalf of members and the women and families they care for[11]

Organisation

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The Royal College of Midwives has a Board consisting of qualified midwives who govern and manage 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.[11]

The organisation at its current state has more than 50,000 members including both professional and student midwives, along with maternity support workers.[5] This makes the RCM the most expansive midwifery association in the world.

International membership

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The Royal College of Midwives is part of many international organisations across the world. The college's goal is to "provide leadership and bring the voice of midwives to other professional organisations."[12] RCM has delegates that have leadership roles in each of these organisations.

List of international bodies

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  • European Association of Midwives (EMA)
  • European Forum for National Nursing and Midwifery Associations (EFNNMA)

Industrial action

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The Royal College of Midwives staged its first-ever strike on 13 October 2014 in protest against the decision that only National Health Service (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.[13] The RCM believed this decision was unfair and unjustified. Their purpose in participating in the strike was to advocate for equitable pay for its members and to highlight the vital role midwives play in the NHS.[14]

Leadership

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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 who is elected by members of the college.[1][3]

List of chief executives

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List of presidents

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Historic leadership

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  • Rosalind Paget was one of the founding members of the Midwives Institute (later known as RCM) in 1881.[22]
  • Rosabella Paulina Fynes Clinton was also a founding member and was Secretary of the Midwives Institute for over 12 years. She was Midwife No. 3.[23]
  • Zepherina Smith was the first president of the Midwives Institute, and her work led to the eventual Royal College of Midwives.[24]
  • Anne Campbell Gibson was the president of the Midwives Institute from 1919 to 1926.[1]
  • Gladys Beaumont Carter led the organisation in the 1930s. Her research led to the first university department for nursing in Europe.[25]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Who we are". About. Royal College of Midwives. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  2. ^ "RCM Strategy 2025". Royal College of Midwives. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "President". Royal College of Midwives. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Staff". Royal College of Midwives. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  5. ^ a b "RCM Membership Benefits". RCM. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  6. ^ Hannam, J. (2004-09-23). Smith [née Veitch], Zepherina Philadelphia (1836–1894), nurse and social reformer. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 16 Jan. 2018, see link
  7. ^ "Royal College Of Midwives". The British Medical Journal. 2 (4941): 730–730. 1955. ISSN 0007-1447.
  8. ^ a b "RCM History" (PDF). Royal College of Midwives. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  9. ^ Gregg, E..A. (1955). "Royal College Of Midwives Appeal". The British Medical Journal. 2 (4942): 794–794. ISSN 0007-1447.
  10. ^ Wentworth-Stanley, C. S. B. (1955). "Royal College Of Midwives Appeal". The British Medical Journal. 2 (4941): 738–738. ISSN 0007-1447.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Who we are". Royal College of Midwives. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  12. ^ "International bodies". Royal College of Midwives. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  13. ^ "NHS workers strike over pay". ITV News. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  14. ^ "NHS staff strike in dispute over pay". BBC News. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  15. ^ "RCM Chief Executive announces retirement". Royal College of Midwives. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  16. ^ "Maggie O'Brien (nee Elliott)". Who we are. Royal College of Midwives. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  17. ^ "New RCM president". News. Royal College of Midwives. 30 May 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  18. ^ "New RCM president announced". News. Royal College of Midwives. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  19. ^ "Professor Lesley Page". Who we are. Royal College of Midwives. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  20. ^ "Meet Rebeccah Davies, RCM President".
  21. ^ a b newuser (1 July 2024). "RCM members elect new President". Royal College of Midwives. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  22. ^ Breckinridge, Mary (1981). Wide Neighborhoods: A Story of the Frontier Nursing Service. University Press of Kentucky. doi:10.2307/j.ctv1jq5qm1.18.
  23. ^ "In Memoriam: Paulina Fynes Clinton". Nursing Notes: 140. October 1918.
  24. ^ Cowell, Betty (1981). Behind the blue door : the history of the Royal College of Midwives, 1881-1981. Internet Archive. London : Baillière Tindall. ISBN 978-0-7020-0881-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  25. ^ Yarwood, Dianne (11 January 2024), "Carter, Gladys Beaumont (1887–1959), midwife and nurse", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.90000382489, ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8, retrieved 8 February 2024
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