As a third year student midwife the fast approach of my qualification is somewhat daunting rather than exciting as i would have hoped. Having had placements in a large high risk unit throughout my training the attitudes of mentoring midwives have been disappointingly institutionalised. I wish to see a future for my career other than within the NHS where I feel midwives are slowly becoming more and more restricted in their roles and more similar to obstetric nurses working for the obstetricians, as in the USA for example.
I wish to be able to safely provide individualised, one to one maternity care to women as a practitioner in my own right, with the support of my local PCT and with professional indemnity insurance to secure the safety of myself and my clients.
I wish the IMA every ounce of luck in their ongoing campaigns in promoting normality in midwifery care.

(Student Midwife)