carol
thanks for this - very helpful
sally t
Carol Thorogood wrote:
> Dear all
>
> Have just returned from the Senate Select Committee hearing. I represented
> the WA ACMI. There's no doubt the committee has read the submissions and are
> thinking about issues. Most of my questions came from Sue Knowles and
> Rosemary Crowley. I found it difficult at times to separate the me hat from
> the ACMI hat. This was harder when some of the questions were What is your
> opinion of... and the ACMI doesn't have a stock/united policy.
>
> VERY IMPORTANT After the hearing it was suggested to me that we midwives
> must present to the Senate models which show how Federal money can best be
> used to fund services - sort of like the ABSP. I just can't do it at the
> moment. Maybe we need a joint submission. I get the impression that the
> Committee wants ideas about finding sources of money and then ways of using
> it. Can this be done by the next hearing? The crux of it is that they want
> us to do the work! We've done it all before so can we do it again?
>
> The rest of this post is about my/ACMI (WA) submission.
>
> In my five minute blurb I concentrated on the need for maternity services
> that reflect womens' expressed needs etc etc. I used a primary health care
> model to show that not all women have services that are equitable,
> accessible, appropriate affordable etc etc. I then gave three examples of
> this ie homebirth, only two birth centres in WA and none in the rural areas,
> inadequate or even absent services for women in remote and rural areas.
>
> Not all the Committee's questions were related to the submission so I had to
> think a bit. They asked if DEM educ'n would improve relations with the
> medical profession (my answer No)! I think they were a bit surprised at my
> somewhat gloomy prognosis about positive relations with our medical
> colleagues. I started hedging a bit and talked about my 'colleagues'. But,
> RC said which ones? I answered.
>
> There were quite a few questions about accreditation of midwives (visiting
> privileges) costs of programs ie homebirths and other midwife managed
> services. Another was why did I think the midwives were so old! I said that
> I think (but as yet little evidence to support it in mid but if general is
> anything to go with) that the midwives and nurses leave the profession in
> droves because of dissatisfaction with their working conditions etc. I used
> Kalgoorlie (hello Kal) to show that if the work is satisfying and they are
> able to practice midwifery as they wuz taught they will stay. So it isn't a
> matter of bringing in 'young students' but of finding ways to make 'em stay!
>
> Other comments were about the 'routinisation' of technologies/services,
> anti-competitive behaviours, lack of appropriate information on which to
> make informed choices; too much money being spent on something to the
> detriment of others ie antenatal care etc.
>
> I tried to make the point that in some quarters midwife managed care is
> considered an expensive luxury for an elite group. Midwife led services
> should be 'instead of' rather than 'as well as' ie it is not an adjunct to
> obstetric services but a model of care in its own right. I'm not sure if it
> came out like that but that's what I meant!
>
> That'll do for now. It is a bit scary but far from unpleasant. By the way
> submissions are the property of the Senate and can't be published. We can
> only comment on what is open to the public.
>
> Thanks to those who gave up their time to listen and be supportive
> afterwards!
> Carol
>
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--
Sally Witten-Tracy
Senior Research Midwife
Australian Midwifery Action Project
University of Technology, Sydney
No 11 The Terraces
PO Box 123 Broadway
NSW 2007
Phone (w) 02 95141677
Fax (w) 02 95141678
E mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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