Midwives Caring for Asylum-seeking Women: Research Findings

Over the past decade, the numbers of women seeking asylum in the United Kingdom (UK) and requiring midwifery care have increased significantly (Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2012). This article describes findings from a small study that explored the experiences of midwives caring for asylum seeking women. Time and communication emerged as significant factors impacting on quality of care and these are the focus of this article. Caring for these women was emotionally challenging and at times frustrating due to poor access to information and support. In conclusion, whilst considerable knowledge and skills were required to care for this vulnerable group, these appeared to be learned almost solely 'on the job': Implications for service delivery and education are explored and recommendations made to improve experiences for women and midwives.