Dear List,
This is the main content of our ASIM letter sent to the office of the
NSW Minister for Health today. We addressed the letter to his
advisor. We have already received a response that NSW Health is
looking into this matter and the Minister's office will let us know
as soon as they hear anything from NSW Health.
Dear ................................
Re: Midwives PI crisis
Both ASIM and the ACMI have been so far unsuccessful in attracting
any interest in midwives from malpractise insurers. I wanted to ask
you if you know of any way assistance could
be forthcoming via a State Government insurance scheme.
PI cover for midwives is essential for;
* NSW Health Guildelines for Homebirths to be implemented.
* ACMI Accreditation program for IPMs to continue
* Existing accreditation programs for IPMs with visiting / admitting
rights to continue.
* IPMs to achieve provider status with private health insurance companies.
* Women who choose a midwife for their pregnancy care to be
recompensed in the event of an
unsatisfactory experience with a midwife.
ASIM has been working hard on achieving financially attractive
refunds for women who choose to have a natural birth at home with
their own midwife. Meetings have been held with Wally Bourdelov,
National Provider Relations Manger of Medibank Private Health
Benefits, Dudley
Wrigley, General Manager of NSW Teachers Federations Health Society
and Chris Bertinshaw, the President of the NSW Health Funds
Association. ASIM's efforts to gain benefits for clients of IPMs will
be fruitless unless it can be demonstrated that midwife providers
have PI insurance.
Failure to achieve private health benefits for women electing to have
a homebirth will further reduce the move towards more natural births
in the community and place a greater burden on NSW Maternity
Hospitals budget propping up a system that perpetuates unnecessary
and harmful interventions on mothers and babies.
ASIM is hopeful that NSW Health assistance in the PI matter may be
forthcoming. We would hope that midwives who register intent to set
up autonomous practice ( providing continuous care to women through
private practice, case-load or natural birth centre models ) would be
able to pay additional fees to NSW Health to cover their PI insurance
when renewing their annual authority to practise.
I am looking forward to hearing from you on this matter and of any
further ideas that you may have on PI cover for midwife practitioners
as the situation is now critical.
Yours faithfully
Jan Robinson
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__________________________________________________________________________
Jan Robinson Phone/fax: 011+ 61+
2+ 9546 4350
Independent Midwife Practitioner e-mail:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
8 Robin Crescent www:
midwiferyeducation.com.au
South Hurstville NSW 2221 National Coordinator, ASIM
__________________________________________________________________________
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