The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has warned that there is a shortage of teachers for training student midwives in the UK.

It said that the number of teachers in the higher education institutions fell by as much as 10 per cent between 2010 and 2011. A smaller number of midwives teachers would mean that the classroom size could increase and there could be a compromise in the quality of teaching.

The RCM recommends one teacher for every ten students but data from 34 higher education institutions across the UK shows that teachers are training upto 14 students. RCM said that only one institution in the UK worked as per the recommendation.

RCM chief executive Cathy Warwick said, “These figures reflect an increasing tightening of the belt and squeeze on the resources, as institutions are unable to hire as many midwife teachers as they need to keep the quality of education high.”

Ms Warwick also said that the appropriate number of midwifery teachers is important especially due to government’s plans to maintain the number of midwifery student places in the UK. She was referring to the health secretary's pledge to invest in a record 5,000 midwives that are being trained and also provide support for women with postnatal depression or who have suffered a miscarriage.