Mr. Liam Woods:

Our human resources function is working on strategies relating to retention and seeking to address that. To change tack slightly, the provision of a strategy and clear direction for the service at a national, group and hospital level will assist people in understanding precisely where the service is heading and a clearer view of the future. The investment in physical infrastructure will also be important and the nature of some of our physical infrastructure is challenging. That investment will also be important.

With regard to retention at the training level, we will need very direct interactions within our overall workforce approach as part of our obstetric workforce plan to seek to address issues of loss of students. There was also reference to loss of qualified midwives to the commercial sector or other environments. We are fully aware we have a job to do in that regard. We are looking to the workforce plan to deliver that.