A vigil took place outside Colchester Town Hall as midwives look to raise awareness about working conditions.

Dozens of participants turned up on Sunday afternoon as part of a nationwide campaign from the March with Midwives group.

The vigil was part of a national campaign calling on action from the government to tackle burnout among healthcare workers across the sector.

Those attending held placards calling for better staffing to avoid burnout.

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Healthcare workers and members of the public were also encouraged to write in an open book about their experiences with the NHS.

Karen Fiddes, who is 49 and lives in Old Bentley, is a midwife at Colchester Hospital – said that the midwifery and maternity services were facing a crisis following underfunding from successive governments.

She said the Covid-19 pandemic had exacerbated the working conditions healthcare workers had to endure.

Charlotte Inkpin, a hypnobirthing instructor, said: "I think it’s important midwives are looked after better and they get more funding.

"Midwives just take so much in their stride. It’s the kind of job that you don’t just fall into.

"You have to have the passion behind it and ultimately you are all human, regardless of what your job is."

Jenna Gosling (solicitor)

Jenna Gosling, a solicitor, said: "I can’t help but feel that midwives by their very nature are respectful, kind, quiet, and unassuming, because that’s what they have to be as part of their job.

"This absolutely reflects what they do. Unfortunately that means we probably won’t get enough attention.

"Midwives have to be extremely emotionally intelligent and read the room. There’s so much they have to read without verbally communicating it with those women."