In a message dated 19/07/01 1:57:22 PM AUS Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Thank you for your email.
The Democrats, through our State Spokesperson, the Hon. Sandra Kanck MLC,
have been very active on issues relating to midwifery, including, most
recently, the decision of Guild Insurance to cease offering insurance cover
for midwives.
I have attached the text of a press release issued last week by Ms Kanck,
for your interest.
Yous sincerly,
Emma Murphy
>>
Hello Emma,
thankyou for your response on behalf of Senator Stott Despoja and the
Australian Democrats Re:The Professional Indemnity crisis facing Australian
Midwives. I would like to thank the Democrats for their attention to this
issue, particularly the efforts of the Hon Sandra Kanck MLC.
Given that through the efforts of Sandra Kanck the Democrats have a real
understanding of the issues facing midwifery in Australia today, I further
request that the Democrats tackle the Howard Government on this issue so that
a solution can be found.
Under both State and Commonwealth Cultural Diversity Charters the governments
of this country outline their responsibilities to provide health services
which are accessible to a culturally diverse society as well as sensitive and
responsive to diversity. In regard to birthing, the government is failing its
responsibilities to Australian women and their families.
The state of birthing services in this country is a disgrace, with Australian
women and their babies being subjected to unjustifiable amounts of highly
interventionist birthing practices, at great economical, physical and
emotional costs to our society. Evidenced based maternity care demands that
midwives be afforded greater roles and responsibilities in the provision of
maternity care. Decades of research, state and federal government inquiries
and reports have all supported this view.
With Guild's decision to withdraw professional indemnity cover for midwives,
we are again witnessing further disincentives to substitute models of care
that have superior outcomes and are expected to be more cost effective. The
key missing ingredient needed to move forward here has been strong political
support and recognition of midwives and of the midwifery profession's
capacity to dramatically improve the provision of the quality, continuity and
accessibility of maternity services. The inability of independent midwives to
secure any form of professional indemnity insurance, to protect themselves
and the clients they serve, virtually wipes out any further opportunity for
the expansion of midwfery-led models of care in this country.
I would further like to bring to your attention to some of the resounding
attitudes that face midwifery today. Attitudes such as the one displayed in
the response pasted below, from a Senator of the Howard Government, Senator
Alan Eggleston, in response to the professional indemnity crisis. Senator
Eggleston's response however misguided, misinformed and outright lacking of
any substance - is powerful and resonates of the fear and mistrust of woman's
innate ability to safely and joyously birth their babies. Senator's
Eggleston's response is a sad reflection of the respect for women in our
society and perpetuates the myths surrounding homebirth and further
denigrates women's choice of a safe, responsible birth choice.
The women and midwives of Australia need assistance to tackle the likes of
Senator Eggleston and his ilk - We call on the Australian Democrats to help
ensure that our democratic rights as birthing women to safe and responsible
birth choices is upheld in this country.
Yours in birth,
Tina Pettigrew
Birthworks
Independent CBE and aspiring B.Mid Midwife.
Convenor, Aust B. Mid Student Collective.
" As we trust the flowers to open to new life
- So we can trust birth"
Harriette Hartigan.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
-----Original Message-----
> From: Eggleston, Alan (Senator) <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: 'Sue Cooper' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Date: Thursday, July 19, 2001 2:44 PM
> Subject: RE: Independent Midwives
>
>
> >YOU SHOULD THANK THE LORD YOU DID NOT HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS SUCH AS A
> >SHOULDER DYSTOCIA OR A HAEMORAGE ... WOMEN HAVE REWPONSIBILITY TO THE
> UNBORN
> >CHILD TO ENSURE THAT THE SERVICES OF MODERN MEDICAL SKILLS AND TECHNOLOGY
> >ARE AVAILABLE IF NEEDED.
> >
> >THE INSURANCE PREMIUMS PAID BT DOCTORS ENGAGED IN OBSTETRICS ARE SO HIGH
> >BECAUSE THE ELEMENT OF RISK IS SUCH THAT IF THERE IS ANY SUGGESTION OF
> >SUBSTANDARD SERVICE COURTS WILL AWARD PUNITIVE DAMAGES.
> >
> >IF MIDWIVES WANT TO PRACTISE IN THE MODERN WORLD THEY SHOULD DO MEDICINE
,
> >BECOME DOCTORS AND TRAIN AS OBSTETRECIANS.
> >
> >THIS IS 2001 NOT 1701.
--
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