Students enrolled in a midwifery course that was suspended over quality concerns have again been left in limbo after plans to resume teaching stalled.

Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) was forced to put its three-year BSc degree on hold to new undergraduates last September, just weeks before the term was due to begin.

This came after the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which acts as a regulator, said students were not being properly supervised during training in hospitals.

Hopes that classes would be up and running again by April 2023 have now been dashed as the university says “challenges and delays” have prevented it from being re-approved.

“The NMC has agreed to our request to postpone the current re-approval process for our Midwifery degree programme, which was due to take place this week,” said a spokesperson for the university.

“Despite significant improvements and progress in the practice environment over the last six months, as provided in recent feedback by our current Midwifery students, there have been challenges and delays in the timeline leading up to reapproval.

“It is clear from recent feedback that the University, through ongoing collaborative working with our partner NHS trusts, must further enhance our students’ experience.”

While acknowledging the healthcare industry’s desperate need for midwifery graduates, CCCU - which has campuses in the city and Medway - now says it is aiming for a September 2023 restart.

The NMC stepped in last September after receiving alarming feedback from existing students, who reported a lack of supervision - with trainees being left with patients for entire shifts.

The regulator also discovered students did not feel supported enough to raise concerns, or listened to when they did.

Dr Alexander Rhys, assistant director of professional practice at the NMC, said: “We quality assure nursing and midwifery education programmes to make sure students graduate with the knowledge and skills to join our register and provide safe, effective and kind care for people.

“As part of this process, we refused approval of CCCU’s proposed midwifery programme that was due to start in September 2022, after our quality assurance reviewers raised concerns.

“CCCU planned to address our concerns and resubmit its programme for approval, aiming for a delayed start in April 2023.

“However, CCCU has now informed us it will be postponing seeking this approval.

"We know this will be unexpected and distressing for the students who expected to start their course with CCCU, however it’s important the university appropriately addresses the concerns and provides the high-quality education that students deserve.”

While the course is currently suspended for new students, existing courses continue to be delivered.