Barnsley Central MP, Dan Jarvis has signed up to a Royal College of Midwives (RCM) pledge to protect maternity services from any cuts, and ensure first-class maternity care.

Jarvis has lent his support to the pledge following his attendance at an RCM event in Parliament last week.

Speaking this morning, Jarvis explained, “I share the RCM’s fears that savings to be made in the NHS may have an impact on the amount of money spent on midwives and maternity services. This comes at a time when the birth-rate has been rising steeply and pregnancies and births are becoming increasingly complex.”

He added, “It is imperative that spending on maternity does not fall and that it matches the demands placed on maternity services. This means more resources and more midwives, something the current government are failing to guarantee despite a rising birth-rate. Great strides have been made in maternity provision over recent years with increasing choice and more midwives.”

“As a father of two young children, I know firsthand what a fantastic job Britain’s midwives do, bringing care and comfort to pregnant women up and down the country, in all different circumstances. In the thirteen years Labour was in office, great strides were made in developing midwifery. We need to be building on this welcome progress and protecting maternity services for the future.”