----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, August 03, 2001 2:49 PM
Subject: RE: Insurance for Midwives
Dear Politicians,
My name is Jackie Kitschke. I am a midwife from South
Australia and currently work in the birthing centre at the WCH. I am writing
to you as a very concerned member of the midwifery profession and perhaps one
day a consumer of this service, about worrying developments in the access to
midwifery services in this country. There has always been unfair policies
around women obtaining the services of private midwives with only few private
health funds providing their custromers with cover for using midwives in their
pregnancy even though this type of care is not as expensive as the hospital,
medical model that is automatically covered with private helath insurance. The
recent advertisements announcing that "The Gap is being covered" excludes
midwifery services but not medical or hospital ones. This email is in regard
to indemnity insurance.
I have pasted a Press Release from the NSW Midwives
Association in regard to the recent decision of Guild Insurance not to insure
midwives who practice privately. There is now no way for midwives practicing
independently to be insured in their line of work a situation that is
disgraceful to say the least. Midwifery is an occupation that is legal and has
been practised in Australia for thousands of years and now women are being
denied this option for their childbirth. Please take the time to read this
Press Statement and do something about it. There have been many government
reports advocating the increase in midwifery models of care for birthing women
and yet there are many obstacles for this to realistically occur.
Press Release from NSW Midwives
Association
Midwives become an endangered profession
The
recent decision by Guild Insurance not to renew professional
indemnity
insurance for midwives has pushed the autonomous profession of
midwifery to
the brink of extinction.
Around 80 independent midwives
across Australia are being told one by one,
as their policies run out, that
they will no longer be insured.
Midwives are being forced to tell
pregnant women due to give birth that they
will have to make alternative
arrangements. This affects all women choosing
the care of an independent
midwife. The right for women to choose their care
provider and place of
birth is now effectively being curtailed. Hospitals
will not allow
independent midwives to care for women in their units without
indemnity.
The profession of midwifery (and women�s right to choose
midwives) is
rapidly becoming endangered.
The World Health Organisation states that,
"the midwife appears to be the
most appropriate and cost effective type of
health care provider to be
assigned to the care of normal pregnancy and
normal birth, including risk
assessment and the recognition of
complications."
All research conducted into midwifery care has
demonstrated that women
experience low rates of intervention, excellent
outcomes, and are more
satisfied than with other forms of mainstream
maternity care. In the five
European countries with the lowest infant
mortality rates in the world,
midwives preside at more than 70 percent of
all births.
Every state and federal government report into maternity
care in the last 12
years has supported the expansion of midwifery as a
profession and
recognised women�s rights to chose their care provider and
place of birth.
Have these all been wasted words and hollow
promises?
There is no evidence that midwifery is Oa highly litigious
area� as stated
by Mr Brown, General Manager of Guild Insurance. The closed
shop attitude
and lack of public accountability by insurance companies
means no one knows
what the rate of litigation is or who is being sued.
Even the recent Senate
Inquiry Into Childbirth Procedures (1999)
could get no answers.
The shortage of midwives and nurses in this
country has recently reached
crisis point. This latest eradication of
choice, access and freedom to
practise midwifery threatens the livelihood
of many dedicated midwives who
have remained loyal to women�s� expressed
needs.
This is a human rights issue and women�s right to choose their
place of
birth and care provider is being blatantly denied. Something must
be done
now! New programs of government funding for midwifery care that
include
indemnity insurance must be introduced in
Australia-NOW!
Interviews with midwives and women accessing independent
midwifery services
can be arranged
For further
information in South Australia please contact
ACMI SA Branch President on 8364 5729
or AMALG (Australian Midwife Act Lobby Group) Roz Donnellan
Fernadez 041 785 1883
Thank you
Jackie Kitschke
Midwife
