Sunderland and South Tyneside midwives balloted on strike action over proposed new on call system
Union labels plan “unsafe and unsustainable, risking increased burnout and damaging to the recruitment and retention of midwives”.
Midwives at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust are being re-balloted for potential strike action after claiming they are being instructed to potentially work on call on their days off.
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) say they have been in negotiations with the Trust since February 2023, aimed at “finding a solution to staff maternity services safely without midwives being rostered for on-call shifts on their days off”.
A statement from the RCM said the Trust “insists that this is its only proposed solution”.
The Trust have confirmed the plan to introduce a new on call rota, however they have disputed the union’s claim and have said any time that nurses did attend an on call shift they would be given the appropriate time off before starting another shift.
The RCM has warned the Trust that the proposed on-call system is “unsafe and unsustainable, risking increased burnout and damaging to the recruitment and retention of midwives”.
RCM Director of Representation and Organising, Lynn Collins said: "Maternity services need safe staffing to deliver safe care, but rostering midwives to work on call on their much-needed days off is no solution.
"It is not something our members should be forced to do and is totally unacceptable. Rest days must be protected. Women and babies deserve services staffed by midwives who are well-rested and midwives shouldn't have to sacrifice precious time away from work to keep services safe."
We contacted South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust about the claim midwives will be forced to be on-call during their days off and the prospect of industrial action.
Melanie Johnson, Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust said: "We have not instructed our midwives to work on call on their days off and continue to progress talks with them and via the RCM and Unison.
“The reason we need an on-call system in place is to ensure safe patient care and safe staff experience. It means we would have extra midwives available to come and help in our maternity unit when it gets very busy.
“If midwives did need to come into work when they are on-call, then we would of course ensure they have appropriate rest periods before they do another shift."
The ballot opened on May 26 and closes on June 15 (2026), with 113 members asked whether they would be prepared to take industrial action if the changes are imposed.
The RCM has said they have put forward a number of alternative proposals it believes are workable, each designed to make extra staff available during busy periods while protecting midwives' rest days.
They say the Trust has argued that all are unworkable and unaffordable - a position the RCM firmly rejects.
Lynn added: "We've been in negotiations with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust for over three years and our members are still no closer to a solution. The law requires us to re-ballot every six months and last year our members made their views crystal clear. They now deserve to have their say on what happens next.”
The RCM wants to reassure women and families using local maternity services that any action resulting from a successful ballot would be limited to members refusing to undertake the disputed on-call arrangements and that midwives would continue to work their normal rostered hours.