Since the start of 2001, 101 maternity units have entered the Birthrate Plus programme and of these 64 have completed their studies, with many more in progress. Although not designed or funded as a comparative study of midwifery workload and staffing needs, a coordinated analysis of the data gives a unique insight into demand for and patterns of midwifery care in England at the present time and has produced ratios of births:work-time-equivalent midwives which could form a basis for standards of care.