Midwife X has been struggling to gain employment for a long period of time – she has had approximately 100 to 120 failed applications and tried many places in the East of England region as well as further afield.

Her Fitness to Practice process has gone on for many years for issues during the supervision of students, something that would be instantly resolved if she were to work as a Band 5.

With the support of The Midwives Haven, she was able to get a more workable Conditions of Practice Order and was determined to find employment. She was mentored by senior midwives from The Midwives Haven who are also convinced that with the right employer giving the issue some logical thought a solution could happen. Without employment, she is effectively permanently suspended from the register which we feel is a huge loss to the profession and highly excessive for the issues that led her to the NMC.

Professor Nancy Fontaine is Chief Nurse & Director of Infection Prevention & Control Professor of Nursing at UEA Norfolk & Norwich University Foundation Hospitals. Cathryn Watters, founder of NMCWatch met her at a conference a couple of years ago and they started to discuss the problems nurses and midwives had trying to secure employment. Nancy was determined to help and from this came the work to launch the Return to Practice Pilot for registrants going through FtP.

Deborah Hughes ( The Midwives Haven ), Cathryn and Nancy are meeting soon to try to get this to happen with this candidate at least. It only takes one…