To get out of the deep crisis it is going through, the profession of midwife must be better paid and benefit from a specific status, according to the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs, which also recommends refocusing its missions on physiological pregnancy and gynecological follow-up.
France has around 23,000 active midwives, 97% of whom are women, who work mainly in hospitals and clinics.
Since the start of the year, they have already taken to the streets five times to demand recognition and staff.
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Faced with "
the deep and recurring discomfort of midwives
" as well as the "
worrying degradation of the attractiveness of hospital posts
", the Igas proposes, in a report published on Friday, to grant them "the
status of public official specific
”, arguing that“
only this statutory tailor-made solution would allow a complete and appropriate response
”.
He also recommends "
a significant increase in their remuneration, all modes of exercise combined
", "
the levels of remuneration being unsuited to the level of their responsibilities
", an "
improvement of working conditions
», Better access to continuing education and better work-life balance.
A necessary refocusing on the core business
The experts also consider it necessary to refocus their missions "
on what constitutes their core business: the management of physiological pregnancy and gynecological follow-up
", judging that over the years "
their missions have been the subject of successive extensions (in connection with abortion, vaccination ...) leading to confuse the identity of this profession
”.
At the same time, midwives must regain their central place in the management of low-risk pregnancies and their sexual health "
by organizing the coordination of the various professionals in an operational manner
".
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The experts also recommend giving back a preponderant place to midwives in the various preventive actions, in particular "
aimed at young people and vulnerable and precarious populations, who must constitute priority targets
". "
Optimizing the use of midwives would help to clarify the course of women's health
," says the Igas. While some of the report's proposals constitute progress for the National Trade Union Organization of Midwives (ONSSF), Caroline Combot, its deputy general secretary, told AFP to have mixed feelings and wait for “
government arbitration
”.