Strategic perinatal workforce plan
We are pleased to introduce the Strategic Perinatal Workforce Plan, a multi-professional plan guided by Health Education and Improvement Wales’s A Healthier Wales: Our Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care. The term perinatal has been used instead of maternity and neonatal based on feedback to emphasise the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to care provided during pregnancy, birth, and the immediate postnatal period.
If you have further questions, please see our FAQ document and easy read summary of the plan.
The Plan has been developed using HEIW’s three-pillar approach - workforce intelligence and analysis, research and innovation, and engagement - the plan is built on robust data and collective expertise. Key steps in the development included:
• Data-driven insights: A review of workforce intelligence and data.
• Best practice research: Analysis of numerous reports and strategic drivers impacting the workforce over the next five years.
• Extensive engagement: Two phases of consultation with key stakeholders and partners to ensure the plan reflects the needs of those it serves.
By focusing on foundational recommendations, informed by evidence developed through HEIW’s three-pillar approach the Plan will address critical areas for improvement. This targeted approach ensures resources are used effectively, laying the groundwork for sustainable and long-term improvements in safety, quality, and equity of care.
The Strategic Perinatal Workforce Plan 2025-2028 outlines several key changes to the workforce to address the evolving needs of perinatal care in Wales. Here are the main initiatives:
1. Growing the Multi-professional Workforce: The plan emphasises increasing workforce supply to meet demand, attracting and retaining the perinatal workforce, and implementing data-driven workforce planning. This includes structured career development and flexible working options to enhance retention.
2. Education and Training: There is a focus on providing structured training opportunities and career development for the workforce. This includes standardising competency frameworks and aligning them with national guidelines to reduce variability across Wales.
3. Leadership, succession planning and Culture: The plan aims to promote a culture of safety, learning, and support. This involves developing compassionate leadership across all levels and reviewing supervision for all perinatal professionals.
4. Workforce Transformation: The plan highlights the need for collaboration across boundaries, development of new and emerging roles, and creating a digitally ready workforce. This includes promoting research roles within perinatal services.
These changes are aimed at creating a sustainable, engaged, and motivated perinatal workforce that can meet the evolving needs of birthing women, babies, and families of Wales.
Next steps
The actions identified in this plan will be delivered recognising the need for capacity and resources to support implementation. To inform the implementation planning process the actions have been categorised into new, accelerate, underpinning – to reflect that not all these actions will require the establishment of additional workstreams and resources. Many of the actions are for HEIW to lead at national level with support of partners. Some of the actions can be progressed by building on work and resources already in place, or though the core functions of HEIW.
For further information please email HEIW.PerinatalWorkforcePlan@wales.nhs.uk