Scenario 3Paul is an obstetric manager working in a busy postnatal ward. The department is understaffed and he says resources are overstretched, resulting in midwives cutting corners, worsening record-keeping standards and women being sent home too early due to pressure on beds. Paul reported the incident to his manager, but was told that in the current economic climate there is nothing that can be done. Paul informs his superior that he intends to go to the media to express his concerns about care in the unit if conditions do not improve. On the next shift Paul refuses to accept any more women and babies from the labor room as he feels the room is too busy and understaffed. Introduction In certain circumstances we are called to account for our actions or our failures to act in a moral, legal or completely neutral capacity (Dooley et al, 2005). Accountability is critical to the protection of the public and individuals in the care of midwives. In practice the term responsibility is often misunderstood. It is essential that all midwives understand what the term responsibility means as it is the means by which the law imposes standards and limits on professional practice. Authorities holding midwives accountable can ask them to justify their acts and omissions at any point in their careers. Accountability also includes the competence and integrity of midwives. “Being responsible means being accountable for your actions and omissions” (Griffith, 2011). Main BodyAccountability is the means by which these errors do not go unpunished and the victims of these errors have the opportunity for redress. The main purpose of holding midwives to account for their actions is to ensure that the expectant mother... middle of paper... Legal Aspects of Midwifery, 3rd edition, London: Butterworth Heinemann. Dooley, D., and McCarthy, J. (2005) Nursing Ethics: Irish Cases and Concerns, Dublin: Gill and MacMillan. Frith, L. And Draper, H. (2004) Ethics and Midwifery: Issues in Contemporary Practice, 2nd edition, London: Book for Midwives.Griffith, R. (2011) Understanding responsibility in midwifery practice: key concepts. In: British Journal of Obstetrics. 19(5). Pp.327-328Jones, S. (2000) Ethics in midwifery, 2nd edition, London: MosbyTilley, S. and Watson, R. (2008) Accountability in Nursing and Midwifery, 2nd edition. [online] available: http://0-site.ebrary.com.dkitlibs.dkit.ie/libs/dkitlib/docDetail.action?docID=10236614&p00=legal%20issues%20midwifery [accessed 10 February 2012].Van Dokkum , N. (2005) Nursing Law for Irish Students, 2nd edition, Dublin: Gill and MacMillan.