The fight to save independent midwifery in the UK has been long, complex — and far from over. Here is an honest account of where things stand and what progress has been made.
The Insurance Breakthrough — and What It Means
After years of campaigning, a significant milestone was reached in 2022. A new indemnity insurance product became available in June 2022 that allows independent midwives to work solely under their own name, restoring the autonomy of practice and returning to pregnant families the genuine freedom to choose their own midwife. This was a hard-won victory and a direct result of sustained pressure from campaigners, families, and the midwifery community.
Building on this, in January 2023 midwife support service Zest Health Innovation Consulting launched a dedicated midwifery insurance programme in partnership with Acrisure affiliate MGAM, now publicly available to independent midwives across England, Scotland and Wales — covering antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care.
Why the Campaign Still Matters
The availability of insurance is a crucial step, but it does not mean the battle is won. For many years, independent midwives struggled to find comprehensive insurance solutions, and the landscape remains fragile. The NMC mandates that all healthcare providers must hold appropriate indemnity cover, yet the commercial market for independent midwife insurance remains narrow and dependent on a very small number of providers. If that provision were to collapse again — as it has before — independent midwifery would once again face extinction overnight.
The Long Road That Got Us Here
It is important to understand the scale of what was overcome. Since 2002, independent midwives were unable to obtain professional indemnity insurance after the last insurer withdrew from the market, citing the small number of practitioners relative to potential claim costs. For over two decades, midwives operated in legal uncertainty, and families who chose independent care did so without the safety net that insurance provides. The 2022 breakthrough came only because of relentless advocacy — from the IMA, from AIMS, from Birthrights, and from thousands of families who refused to accept that their choices did not matter.
What We Continue to Push For
- A sustainable, long-term insurance framework that does not rely on a single commercial provider
- Government recognition of independent midwifery as a legitimate and evidence-based model of care, not an inconvenient outlier
- NMC regulatory clarity to ensure that independent midwives can practise with full confidence and legal protection
- NHS collaboration pathways so that independent midwives and NHS trusts can work together where it serves families best
- Continued pressure on the Department of Health to ensure that any future legislative changes protect rather than eliminate the independent sector
Your Support Still Makes the Difference
There are still fewer than 200 independent midwives practising in the UK. The infrastructure supporting them is new, fragile, and under-resourced. An independent midwife provides a true continuity of care experience — the same midwife for every antenatal appointment, the birth itself, and postnatal care — resulting in safer outcomes built on a foundation of trust and genuine relationship. That model deserves protection, not just survival.
Write to your MP. Share our story. And if you are able, donate to help us keep fighting.