Midwifery 2020 was commissioned by the UK Health Departments to set the direction for midwifery and identify the changes needed to the way midwives work, and to their role, responsibilities and training and development requirements. Such workforce reform projects are already in place for other healthcare professions, the best known being 'Modernising Nursing Careers' and Modernising Medical Careers'.

Northern Ireland are jointly leading on two of the five workstreams as listed below:

Wales supported by Northern Ireland, is leading on the Core and Developing Role of the Midwife. This includes models of care, service delivery, elements of skill mix and social enterprise.

Scotland is leading on Workforce and Workload. This workstream will consider demographics, education commissioning, attrition and workforce planning.

Education and Career Progression is being led by England and will cover clinical and academic careers, mobility and flexibility, newly qualified midwives, levels of practice, research, midwife managers and teachers as well as the image of midwifery as a career choice.

England is also leading on Measuring Quality, which will involve looking at metrics work, clinical quality and outcome indicators and valuing midwifery care.

Public Health, this workstream will focus on the public health role of the midwife, taking account of inequalities. It will also cover parenting education, early years work and multiagency working.