Whither midwifery education in Scotland

Earthquakes are measured on the Richter scale and can sometimes be predicted so that the areas most likely to be affected can be forewarned. A logarithmic progression from 1 to 10 is greater than an arithmetical one and, depending on the strength of the tremor, outcomes vary in intensity and effect. If ministerial statements are treated in the same way as earthquakes, then that produced by the Secretary of State for Scotland on the future provision of midwifery and nursing education in Scotland in May 1994 must rate quite highly (The Scottish Office Information Directorate, 1994). Its significance for the professions has yet to be fully assessed but, like earthquakes, the reverberations continue for some time after the event.