Another letter to ad to the fray - versions sent to federal LIB ALP &
Democrat health people on Monday. Will post replies...
P.S Word has it that it is better to send letters than emails at least to
govt members if you want you message to be treated as formal correspondence
and given a reply.
Barb.
The Hon Jenny Macklin MP
Opposition Health Spokesperson
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Dear Ms Macklin,
Re Access of Pregnant Women to Independent Midwives
I am writing to draw your attention of a crisis in Australian midwifery and
to seek your urgent assistance. Independent midwives are being denied the
ability to practice due to the recent decision by their insurer not to renew
their professional indemnity policies. Independent midwives have found
they are unable to find an alternative insurer.
This situation threatens to strip Australian women of the right to choose a
midwife as their primary carer during pregnancy and childbirth. This runs
directly counter to the recent recommendation by the World Health
Organization that midwives are the most appropriate professionals to support
women to give birth safely and cost effectively (WHO, Care in Normal Birth,
1999)
Independent midwives offer an essential service in Australia. They provide
pregnant women with one on one care throughout their pregnancy, birth and
early postnatal period. Experience in both Australia and oversees has
proven that care of a woman by a known midwife significantly reduces the
need for medical interventions in birth. This results in significantly
reduced costs to the public health system of providing care for birthing
women, as well as resulting in happier and healthier mothers and babies.
Childbirth is not an illness. It is a normal and very significant event in
a woman�s life. Midwives are experts in normal childbirth. Obstetricians
are experts in the pathology of childbirth. It is ludicrous that the public
health system supports women to access specialist obstetric care for
abnormal pregnancy and birth without providing the same support to the vast
majority of women to access care from the experts in normal pregnancy and
birth�qualified midwives.
The withdrawal of independent midwifery services Australia wide is also a
public safety issue. In the absence of independent midwives, some women
will undoubtedly choose to birth unassisted rather than opt for the
technology-dominated and impersonal care offered by hospitals. Unassisted
birth is not safe and it will only be a matter of time before a mother or
baby is put at risk if mothers are forced to make this choice.
Urgent action is needed from both federal and state governments to enable
independent midwives to continue practising. Many concessions have been made
in recent months to obstetric models of care, encouraging pregnant women to
give birth in private hospitals, and promising to reduce the gap in rebates
for doctors' fees. At the same time the basic option of continuity of care
from a known midwife�the model that is strongly supported by research
evidence�is being withdrawn. This is totally unacceptable. It defies
logic, removes the midwife's livelihood, and is not in the interests of
birthing women. It is also causing great distress to pregnant women who
have made plans to give birth in the exemplary care of a known midwife.
I urge you and the Australian Labor Party to urgently do what you can to
help restore the right for Australian women to engage their own a midwife to
care for them during pregnancy and birth if they so choose.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Dr Barbara Vernon
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