Student midwives in Scotland are struggling to find work and are running up debts of thousands of pounds with morale at an all-time low, according to a new study.

Student midwives in Scotland are struggling to find work and are running up debts of thousands of pounds with morale at an all-time low, according to a new study.

More than 90% of final year midwifery students are finding it difficult to get a post and almost 60% of all students are concerned about lack of jobs, the Royal College of Midwives claims.

According to the RCM's Scottish chief, drop-out rates are causing concern across the profession, while newly- qualified midwives are having to relocate to other parts of the country to stand a chance of securing employment.

RCM UK board for Scotland director Gillian Smith said: "For several years, we have had a guarantee of 12 months' employment in Scotland on qualification.

"However, it is often difficult for recently qualified midwives to get a placement in a maternity unit of their choice and they may have difficulties with moving because of other commitments.

"One of the worrying issues in Scotland remains the attrition rate for students. A major factor attributing to this is their financial situation and debts.

"Often it is this that drives students to withdraw from a course before completion. It is a huge waste of taxpayers' money."

According to the report, only 8% of students graduating this year said that they had secured a midwifery post. The survey also revealed concerns about the cost of training as midwifery moves to being a graduate profession, with 81% worried about the impact training will have on their finances. A total of 10% said they had debts of between £7000 and £9000.

The survey of 170 students in the UK, the second to be carried out on students for the RCM, found that morale among students was at an all-time low.

It looked at aspects of student midwives' work, morale, hopes and aspirations to see how attitudes are changing with the shift to an all-graduate profession in 2008.

Dame Karlene Davis, general secretary of the RCM, which has 2981 student members, said: "This survey confirms what we have been saying for some time - that morale amongst student midwives is declining because of their accumulated debts and uncertainty about job prospects.

"However, the survey also shows that student midwives want to deliver high-quality care and apply their training, but too many are not getting this opportunity. We are campaigning for a £10,000 non-means tested bursary for all student midwives."

Against the backdrop of an ageing profession Westminster Health Secretary Alan Johnson recently announced a package of measures to recruit 3400 full-time midwives over the next three years, including former midwives, with a golden hello' of £3000.

The Scottish Government has said it is spending £5m addressing the issue The RCM, which represents over 95% of the UK's midwives and is one of the world's oldest and one of the largest midwifery organisations, as well as being a trade union, said there are fewer midwifery training posts commissioned this academic year than five years ago, despite a rising birth rate.

Students, particularly those switching careers to midwifery, spoke of the intense financial burden funding training can impose.

One mature student told researchers she had to re-mortgage her house to pay for child-minding costs for her four children for the next two years, while she undertook her midwifery training.

Alison Anderson, a final year student from Glasgow, said: "Getting a job is a huge concern. The need for more midwives is apparent on nearly every shift.

"It seems extremely unlikely that I will be able to secure a permanent post on qualifying. I will be unable to consolidate the experience I have gained during my training, which is extremely disheartening, as the demands of the course on individuals and their families are huge."

Newly-qualified midwives working in the NHS currently start on £19,683, which can eventually rise to £31,779 after nine years of practice. Consultant midwives can earn more than £60,000.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "Attrition rates vary considerably across the country and the reasons why students do not complete their nursing or midwifery courses are often varied and complex.

"The Scottish Government is investing up to £5m in a number of initiatives to support recruitment and retention and to tackle high rates of student attrition, by improving support for pre-registration student nurses and midwives."

The government also said all students who have enrolled in the one-year guarantee scheme have been successfully placed in posts and that all graduates are offered the opportunity to enroll in its NHS Education for Scotland Flying Start scheme.

The scheme aims to support the transition from student to qualified practitioner and "equips midwives with the necessary leadership and management skills".

I learn something new every day on placement'

Sheikha Pitcairn has no regrets about her career choice but confesses to major concerns about her job prospects after graduation.

The 23-year-old first year student is studying for a three-year BSc midwifery programme at Napier University in Edinburgh.

Apart from worries about job prospects, she has the additional pressure of dealing with the debts she has accumulated while studying, a fact exacerbated in her case from already holding a degree.

She said: "It is unlikely that I will get a full-time job in Scotland. I have friends who qualified in 2007 who have been offered only temporary contracts or have to work backshifts.

"I'm in debt because I gained an honours degree before starting my midwifery training. It's tough getting by on a bursary of £520 a month. We have to work 30 hours a week when on placement, in addition we must keep on top of reading. Some people have part-time jobs but it's not easy to do the course and work."

Sheikha's time is split between classes in university and placements in health centres and hospitals.

She has a degree in social anthropology, but has always been interested in women's health, pregnancy and care. During her honours year she decided that she would enjoy being a midwife.

She spent a year working part-time, worked for a pregnancy charity and spent an evening a week in the postnatal ward at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh.

She added: "I love being on placement. I learn something new every day. I love being in contact with the women. You can build up a strong rapport in just a few weeks. I love being able to offer support and care. Most importantly, it's a privilege to be part of a special time in a woman's life.

"Starting my midwifery training is the best decision I ever made."