A landmark deal that will give nursing and midwifery students up to 45 weeks of maternity pay will be signed off this week, according to a report in the Nursing Times.
The magazine reports that the Department of Health (DoH) and the unions are set to sign the deal which is substantially more than the 26 weeks the DoH initially offered.
A draft letter seen by the magazine states “the purpose of this change is to ensure that such students are not compelled to abandon their courses because of lack of financial support during the period of childbirth and pregnancy”.
The move comes two months after three pregnant midwifery students won an appeal for sex discrimination against the DoH.
