Maternity services in England are facing a deepening staffing crisis as growing numbers of younger midwives leave the NHS due to burnout, with 1,669 midwives aged 34 or under resigning in 2025–26 — a 59% rise compared to a decade earlier and more than half of all midwife departures that year. The Royal College of Midwives (RCM), the profession's main union, has described the situation as a "staffing emergency," with three-quarters of midwives having considered leaving the profession in the past year, citing dangerously low staffing levels and patient safety concerns. The crisis is compounded by a high student dropout rate — nearly one in four midwifery students fails to complete their three-year degree — and has prompted calls from opposition politicians for the government to invest in protected training and professional development rather than simply recruiting new staff who then leave under unsustainable pressure.