I want to share a situation with you, colleagues, caring people, and
possibly some who would oppose what I am doing.
I am not prepared to identify the hospital concerned, and even if you think
you know to which hospital I refer, believe me, it could be one of several.
A woman whose baby is due in a couple of months has booked for care at a
public hospital. This hospital does not have an antenatal clinic, and
requires women to be seen in the rooms of the doctors who provide obstetric
services in that hospital.
The woman is not a health professional. She has made it her business to
find information about birth and evidence based models of care. She decided
she wanted continuity of care from one midwife, so she phoned the maternity
unit at the hospital. The midwife she spoke to said the hospital did not
offer that option, but directed her to independent midwives. After
discussion with me the woman decided that she would like to have me provide
pre-, intra- and postnatal care. She wants to have her baby in the
hospital, and go home within a few hours of the birth. I explained that I
do not have a visiting arrangement with the hospital concerned, meaning that
when in hospital she would be under the care of another midwife from the
hospital as well as me.
(I'm sure you get the picture - the hospital uses the word 'support person',
and although support is a marvellous thing, and one of the things I aim to
do, I am and will continue to be, a midwife, whether or not the hospital
acknowledges me as such!)
The woman phoned the doctor's receptionist to cancel her next appointment,
and to inform the doctor that she would only be coming back to him if she
required specialist care. She was informed that she was not allowed to
change to a midwife's care. The woman phoned the hospital, and was told
that it 'not medically possible' for her to keep her booking at the
hospital, and have the model of care that she had chosen.
The woman has written a letter of complaint to the CEO of the hospital.
This sort of medical monopoly and anti-competitive behaviour is very
offensive to me, and to those who seek my services. According to the Trades
Practices Act, it is the purchaser and not the seller of a service who
should determine what is the best product. I offer a service for which I am
qualified, and which is my livelihood.
Having just completed a submission to the Senate Inquiry (as have quite a
few others on the list) I am acutely aware of the inappropriate
medicalisation of well women in pregnancy and birth. We cannot afford to be
complacent about this. WE have a better option. I have told this story to
remind myself and others that coming generations of women will be subjected
to unnecessary tests, surgery, self-doubt, depression, and many other
unpleasant sequelae if we do not change the delivery of care in mainstream
maternity services.
Sincerely
Joy Johnston
Midwife and lactation consultant
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.aitex.com.au/joy.htm
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