I hope Irene that your letter is a joke because if what you are saying is
what you feel then surely you are taking as ostrich approach to consumer
involvement in Maternity Services. You will never get it right until you
not only have consumer imput but have equal imput at all levels of your
training and through out your service. At present midwives are accountable
only to Midwives and maybe the medical profession at large but as maternity
services exist now midwives are not accountable to the one group they
should be Mothers (Consumers). I wonder how many midwives out there not
only provide but encourage honest evaluation of the service they have
provided. How many midwives would actually change they way they practice
based on the written feed back of consumers. How many of you who practice
in either private practice or caseload situations have consumers that you
are directly accountable to on regular occassions .I Will be the first to
admit that constantly being under the watchful eye of a group of consumers
even hand picked ones can be sometimes quite harrowing especially if they
understand they have the right to openly evaluate the care you give, the
service you provide but if a midwife can't stand up to this kind of
evaluation then I can only wonder what it is she has to hide.
Don't be fooled thinking that you can gain or maintain any sort of autonomy
in this society with out the full support of your "BIRTHING SISTERS" you
have no hope.
If anything you need to take a much closer look at exactly how NZ got their
autonomy and you will realize that many many consumer groups came together
in support. The Government is not going to listen to a bunch of Midwives
when the have Ob's in their ears. The Government will only change it's
mind when it's sees enough people pushing as to affect the VOTE!
Dierdre.......
----------
> From: Yalta Orchids <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: Fw: Consumers and ACMI
> Date: Thursday, August 19, 1999 9:48 PM
>
> Yes Irene, let's sort ourselves out first. There ARE major changes afoot
> and The College needs to work through them first.
>
> Currently, members may join and/or support various consumer and allied
> organisations and do. Interested individuals and/or organisations are
able
> to join the College (as associate members) and many do. The College
and/or
> indivudual members work on many committees etc with consumer
organisations
> - because we share a common interest, the welbeing of birthing women and
> families. This relationship will continue to develop and at some stage
may
> take on a diferent form.
>
> By all means lets explore other possibilities. Discussion and indeed
lively
> debate are signs of a healthy growing organisation. May it continue.
>
> See you in Hobart
>
> Marie Barton
>
> At 14:29 18/08/99 +1000, you wrote:
> >
> > Re the Consumer issue. A few thoughts: - I would like to get that
> right before we start looking after other groups as well ie consumers.
>
> >an organisation that supports/nutures MIDWIVES I don't hear the consumer
> groups out there saying "lets get out there and protect our >midwives,"
> What if we get a consumer rep from women that choose birth with all the
> technology available, that want LUSCS on demand, that do not want to
breast
> fed at all and want midwives to take up their cause?
>
> >purposes, health care practitioners/consumers in the one organisation,
I
> can't see it myself. Especially ones that support and nuture midwives.
>
> > Re NZ: - Can't we just generate our own understandings from our own
> >situations rather than always looking to other midwives in other
countries
> with different Health Care Systems/ Politicial Systems and cultures etc
> etc to show us what to do??
>
> Re Partnerships:- Great idea do you think we should practice amongest
> ourselves for a few years and then when we get it right approach our
> birthing sisters
>
> Irene Coonan
> Corporate Services Manager NSW Midwives Association Inc
>
>
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