Midwife

Introduction to the role

As a midwife, you’ll be the main point of contact for pregnant women needing care, advice and support. In most cases, you’ll act as the lead healthcare professional throughout their pregnancy, helping them make informed decisions based on up-to-date information and guidance.

You’ll work with people from many different backgrounds, including those who may be very young, socially excluded, living with a disability or facing other challenges. Being able to communicate with confidence and sensitivity is vital. You’ll also need to understand the emotional, physical and psychological changes that happen during pregnancy and birth and offer the right care and support at each stage.

Pregnancies don’t always go as planned. You may support women and families experiencing loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death or complications. In these situations, compassion and professionalism are essential. If you’re working in the community, you may build long-term relationships with the families in your care, which can help when offering support during more difficult times.

About the role

What does a midwife do?

Midwives are experts in pregnancy and childbirth, supporting women before, during and after the birth of their baby. You’ll be involved in every stage — from carrying out clinical checks and screenings during pregnancy, to supporting women through labour, and offering advice on feeding, bathing and caring for their newborn.

Where you work can vary. Midwifery services are increasingly delivered in the community, so antenatal care might take place in women’s homes, local clinics, health centres, community hubs or GP surgeries. You may also be based in a hospital, working in areas such as antenatal clinics, labour wards, postnatal wards or neonatal units. Some births are supported at home or in midwifery-led units, depending on the woman’s needs and preferences.

You may support women with more complex needs and help them access appropriate care. You’ll also work alongside a range of professionals, including GPs, obstetricians, health visitors, social workers, neonatologists, neonatal nurses and maternity support workers. Throughout it all, your focus is on providing safe, personalised care that supports each woman through their unique journey.

What are the pay and conditions like?

As a midwife, a full time job is 37.5 hours a week, however there are opportunities to work part-time. Many healthcare services provide 24/7 care, therefore you may be expected to work across various shifts which include days, nights, weekends and bank holidays. Employers will review flexible working requests and patterns on an individual basis.

You’ll usually start on band 5 of the Agenda for Change pay system, with opportunities to progress into more senior roles. These could include team manager positions at band 6, or midwife consultant roles at bands 8b or 8c.

Midwives also receive a generous pension, access to NHS staff discounts, and at least 27 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.

Where midwifery can take you

Once you have qualified as a midwife, a variety of career and development opportunities may become available.

Specialist development opportunities include: 

• becoming a specialist in areas such as water births, maternal mental health, infant feeding or high-risk pregnancy care
• working in the community and specialising in supporting home births
• move into leadership, management, teaching or clinical research

Person specification

Is midwifery right for you?

Being a midwife means supporting people through one of the most significant experiences of their lives. You’ll need excellent communication skills to answer questions, offer reassurance and provide clear advice. The role involves working closely with others, so being a strong team player is essential. You should also feel confident handling emotionally intense situations, staying calm and focused when people need you most.

Ask yourself:

• Can I communicate clearly and sensitively with people in stressful situations?

• Am I comfortable working as part of a team in a fast-paced environment?

   

Do your values reflect those of the NHS?

Whether you're applying for a university course or a role within the NHS, you’ll need to show that your values align with the NHS Constitution. This includes providing respectful, compassionate care and a commitment to supporting others.

Ask yourself:

• Do I take pride in caring for others with kindness and understanding?

• Am I interested in the physical, emotional and psychological journey of pregnancy and birth?

   

Entry requirements and training

Studying midwifery at university

To become a registered midwife, most people apply for a degree course . These are usually full time and take around three years to complete. They combine academic study with hands-on training in a range of clinical settings. You will spend around half your time studying at university and half gaining practical supervised experience in a range of healthcare settings.
Entry requirements will vary depending on the university, but you’ll typically need:

• at least five GCSEs at grade 4/C or above, including English, maths and a science
• two or three A levels or equivalent qualifications, such as a BTEC or T Level

Some universities offer foundation year options if you do not meet the standard entry criteria. 

How to apply

To apply for a midwifery degree, you’ll need to submit your application through UCAS. As part of the process, you may be invited to an interview or selection day. This is your opportunity to show your motivation, understanding of the profession, and how your values reflect those of the NHS Constitution.
Work or volunteer experience in health or care settings or working with women and children can help strengthen your application.

Other routes into midwifery

There are also alternative routes to becoming a registered midwife, including:

• Apprenticeships, which allow you to train and earn a salary at the same time. These are offered by some NHS employers in partnership with universities.
• Shortened midwifery training for registered adult nurses.
• Some employers support existing staff, for example maternity support workers, through training while they continue working.

Find out more about Routes into NHS with UCAS.

All midwifery courses in the UK must meet NMC standards of education and training but programmes vary in their content, the way they are structured, and how they are taught and assessed. The facilities available and amount of support and supervision may also differ from course to course. Find out more by looking at university websites and prospectuses, attending university open days and contacting admissions staff.

Work experience

Applying for a course or apprenticeship in midwifery is going to be competitive. If you're seriously considering it, it is a great idea to try and gain some prior work experience to strengthen your application visit NHS England to find out more about gain work experience for NHS Careers.