New baby boom to put 'enormous' strain on NHS

Birth rates have been on the rise for a decade, due principally to immigration, with the number growing by about 12,000 a year. In 2011 there were 688,120 births in England, according to the Office for National Statistics. But this year there seems to be an extra surge.

In the first three months of this year alone, 4,600 more babies were born than during the same period last year, according to official figures. Midwives are warning that the trend is continuing and will swell births to more than 700,000 in England this year - the first time that level has been reached since 1971.

Professor Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said the increase was putting “enormous” strain on the NHS. She said: “Today’s midwives simply have never seen anything like it. I really believe we are at the limit of what maternity services can safely deliver."

Yet while births are going up the Royal College of Midwives is concerned at signs midwife numbers could actually fall in some places due to cost-cutting.  Some NHS trusts are reducing vacancies, meaning a sixth of new midwives have been looking for a job for more than three months.

Prof Warwick said: "What is so frustrating is that there is a clear need for more midwives. We're training midwives, but we're not recruiting them. That is a sad waste of all their time and effort, and a waste of taxpayers' money too."

Dr Dan Poulter, the health minister, yesterday announced at extra £25 million would be spent on maternity wards to build ensuite facilities, rooms for partners to stay overnight and birthing pools.

Prof Warwick said the extra cash was “a welcome and positive step”, albeit a small one in the context of the £2.5 billion maternity budget.

Glossary: 

NHS = National Health Service (equivale a la Seguridad Social)

NH trust = An organisation that provides health services for the National Health Service

Midwive = a person who is trained to help women when they are giving birth

Question 1 [2 points] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a)  Far more babies have been born this year than in 1971.
b)  This situation has happened before.
c)  There is no employment in the midwives sector.

d)  The government is investing money in improving the services provided to new parents.

Question 2 [2 points] Answer the following questions in your own words.
a)  What is the main reason for the growth in the number of births?
b)  What improvements will there be in hospitals  for new parents?

Question 3 [1.5 points] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a)  number (paragraph 1)
b) obvious (paragraph 5)
c)  although (paragraph 7)

Question 4 Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a) Birth rates have been on the rise for a decade, due principally to immigration.

The main reason for the rise ……
b) Cathy Warwick said “Today’s midwives simply have never seen anything like it and I really believe we are at the limit of what maternity services can safely deliver."

Cathy Warwick said that today’s midwives ……………………….. .
c) The Royal College of Midwives is concerned that midwife numbers could actually fall in some places due to cost-cutting.

If cost are cut, then ……………………………………….

Question 5
Write a short essay (between120-150 words) on the following topic:

How can a baby boom affect society in the future?