An extra 4,000 midwives are set to be working in the NHS by 2012 under government plans announced today to combat staff shortages.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson has also revealed midwives who have left the NHS are to be offered “golden hellos” of about £3,000. Incentives will include free training and support with childcare and travel costs, on top of a grant of up to £1,500. News of the drive comes just days after a newly-qualified batch of midwives graduated from the University of Wolverhampton.

And health chiefs say despite staffing problems in some parts of the country, it is still one of the most popular professions in the city.

There are currently 145 midwives working at Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital and the department is fully-staffed.

Staff said today they have to continually review their recruitment levels in the light of raising birth rates.

A total of 3,705 babies were born at the hospital last year compared to 3,536 in 2006, an increase of 4.8 per cent.

Head of midwifery Sandra Orton said today: “We are very lucky at New Cross as we have a good number of midwives to women ratio and we don’t have any vacancies at the moment.

“But we would welcome any return to the profession from midwives who have left the NHS as they offer a wealth of experience.

“It is stressful but there is a lot of job satisfaction as well.”

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) welcomed the move to recruit more midwives but the Conservatives accused the Government of responding slowly to a staffing crisis and “chasing headlines”.

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: “After two years of the number of midwives falling, it is clearly right to increase the number of midwives, but it’s too late for the Government to meet its promise for every mother giving birth to have her own midwife by 2009.”

Funding for the plans will come out of £330 million cash injection announced in January for maternity services.