Fw: childbirth

[Elizabeth McAlpine]

Title: Dear Senator Crowley,

same letter as Sally received. They seem interested in us and our concerns re childbirth. Liz   ----- Original Message ----- From: Plibersek, Tanya (MP) To: 'Elizabeth McAlpine' Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2001 3:39 AM Subject: RE: childbirth Dear Elizabeth Thank you for your e-mailed correspondence concerning independent midwives. I agree with many of the points you raise, especially in relation to women having the right to exercise a choice in birthing options and midwives being specialists in their field of work. I understand the premise on which independent midwives and women choosing birth options base the argument for private insurance cover support from Government. Please be assured that I firmly support choices for women birthing, at home, in a birth centre or at hospital. Furthermore, I acknowledge that midwives, wherever they work, are skilled professionals. Labor recognises that there is a need for reforms to medical indemnity. Recently the Hon Kim Beazley, Leader of the Opposition launched a medical indemnity reform package. This package includes seeking to refer the current problems with indemnity insurance for midwives to the Senate Inquiry into Nursing, to look at options to ensure that home births remain an option for expectant mothers. I have written, on behalf of a number of my constituents to the Hon Dr Michael Wooldridge, Minister for Health, seeking the Government’s response to the concerns you have raised. I am interested to know what the Government plans to do on this issue. The Howard Government has a long history of doing too little, too late with the insurance sector. I have also passed on a copy of your concerns to my colleague the Hon Jenny Macklin, Shadow Minister for Health, for her information and as part of contributing to Labor’s health policy formulation. Please be assured that your concerns are being heard and thanks for writing to me on this very important issue. Yours sincerely Tanya Plibersek MP Member for Sydney -----Original Message----- From: Elizabeth McAlpine [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, 24 July 2001 12:37 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: childbirth Dear Members of Parliament and Senators,   Previously, I sent this letter as an attachment without realizing that many of you may never open unsolicited attachments. It is sent for your consideration and attention of childbirth issues.   Yours sincerely, Elizabeth McAlpine 23 July, 2001         Dear Member of Parliament/Senator,   There was some little choice for women in childbirth but now, with the withdrawal of professional indemnity insurance, that choice has been eliminated. The midwifery model of care, recommended by the WHO and supported by research evidence, is under threat.   I urge you to act in the interests of public health and human rights, and to follow the recommendations in the senate report, ‘Rocking the Cradle’ 1999.   The childbirth issue has enormous implications for women and children’s health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, women’s rights, hospital and medicine’s lack of public scrutiny and audit, the practices of insurance companies, economics and cost to the taxpayers to name a few.   How women birth has profound effects on society and I refer you to www.birthworks.com/primal health and www.birthpsychology.com/  to peruse studies on the effects of interventionist practices on later life.   Hot on the heels of the PI insurance issue for midwives in Australia, comes the ‘Good Birth Guide’ produced by the Sunday Times July 15th, in conjunction with www.drfoster.co.uk  which informs women so they may demand change in childbirth. The work during that report may have acted as catalyst for the RCOG to help co-ordinate a national audit to investigate interventionist practices with the aim being new guidelines on caesareans and the use of induction.   Hopefully, Australia will do the same thing in the near future – but not without a push I fear.  I can recommend the past regional officer for Women’s and Children’s Health, WHO, Dr. Marsden Wagner (author of ‘Pursuing the Birth Machine’ the search for appropriate birth technology) to research all hospitals in Australia as drfoster did in the U.K. [EMAIL PROTECTED]  with the aim of publishing Australia’s Good Birth Guide.    Please push hard for legislation to   1.        recognize midwives as the primary care giver for normal pregnancy and birth. 2.        arrange PI insurance or no-fault clause like that operating in New Zealand to allow midwives to practice for the benefit of women and their babies.   Also, for obstetricians to be enabled to support midwives when required in their practice, without fear of litigation, and to obviate some of the need for interventionist practices. 3.        require hospitals to accept admitting and visiting rights for midwives. 4.        provide funding for home birth should women choose this option.     Elizabeth McAlpine (20/7/01)