New midwifery campus officially opens

The campus has the latest equipment for training midwives, says Bournemouth University

A new training centre aimed at reducing the shortage of trained midwives has been officially opened.

Bournemouth University's new Portsmouth Midwifery Campus will teach about 80 students for placements at hospital trusts in Berkshire, Chichester, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The university said the campus at Lakeside, North Harbour, has the latest facilities and equipment and to give student midwives "all they need to succeed in their future careers".

England has a shortage of about 2,500 midwives.

Students from the campus work at hospital trusts across southern England

BBC research last year also found that some hospital trusts have more than one in five midwife jobs unfilled.

The Royal College of Midwives has said staffing is the "most important issue" and the gap needs to close.

Speaking at the official opening ceremony for the new campus, Prof Alison Honour, vice-chancellor of Bournemouth University, said: "The UK needs more trained midwives and I'm so pleased that this facility allows us to educate a future workforce with the skills and expertise the UK needs."

The campus replaces a previous training facility at St Mary's Hospital.

Prof Anand Pandyan, executive dean of the health and social sciences faculty said: "The integrated design of the midwifery satellite campus at Portsmouth provides an environment to foster learning and support student wellbeing.

"Such a facility will ensure that the midwifery graduates of Bournemouth University will serve the women of the region well."