Two-thirds of regions report that staffing in maternity care looks better or is unchanged compared to last summer. However, just over one-third state that the situation has worsened.
Despite the challenging conditions in some areas, more than half of the regions lack sufficient midwives to ensure proper staffing, according to a survey by TT.
Despite the difficult situation, all 19 regions that responded to TT’s survey have managed to grant four weeks of uninterrupted vacation to midwives who requested it.
Many regions have addressed staffing issues by hiring temporary midwives and retirees, as well as offering bonuses to permanent staff to reschedule their vacations and take extra shifts.
Nevertheless, more than half of the respondents indicated that there is a risk women may need to travel to other regions to give birth this summer.
In Värmland, the staffing situation is much worse than last summer, partly because the region no longer employs temporary midwives, according to Charlotte Stenström, head of the maternity ward in Region Värmland.
The maternity clinic, which is the only one in the region, can manage staffing for the rest of the year, but will be understaffed during certain shifts this summer.
“It is, of course, very stressful for the staff who are working, but we never go below a threshold that would jeopardize medical safety,” she says.
The consequences could include having to decline planned inductions and midwives being less available to each laboring woman.
“Despite being understaffed at certain times, women in Värmland do not need to worry about not getting a place,” Stenström assures.
In Region Örebro, staffing looks much better this summer compared to last year. One reason is the intensive work on this issue in recent years, says Jennie Kilstam, unit manager at the maternity ward at Örebro University Hospital.
“I believe we are seeing the results now. We have tried to look at the individual needs of the staff. Some want to work straight weeks, and others prefer weekends.”
Kilstam believes midwives are drawn to other areas of healthcare because they dislike the working hours or scheduling in maternity clinics.
The regions’ biggest challenge for maternity care during the summer months is staffing, according to the survey. Several regions describe narrow margins for unexpected events and difficulty in staffing substitutes with the right competence.
SpotlightSweden