THE president of the Royal College of Midwives has led a call for more to join the ranks.
Lesley Page, from Oxford, joined 18 student midwives dressed in vintage-style 1950s midwifery outfits to promote an e-petition started by the RCM, calling for 5,000 more midwives.
It has 59,500 signatures so far and the college aims to collect 100,000 by August 22.
Prof Page, who participated in part of the cycle ride on a old-style Pashley bike – loaned by Walton Street Cycles in Oxford – said: “It has been really encouraging seeing the energy and enthusiasm of the student midwives. This cycle ride has created a lot of interest and there seems to be a lot of public sympathy for midwives.
“I’m impressed with the initiative of the student midwives.”
The women were dressed in vintage-style uniforms as in Call the Midwife, the popular BBC TV series about a group of midwives based in East London in the 1950s.
The midwives cycled six miles through Westminster, handing out cakes.
For details of the RCM’s campaign and to sign the online petition
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