No offense meant with the midwife practitioner title - we are going to Canberra to get a senate inquiry going specifically into the insurance crisis that exists for independent midwife practitioners. Almost all of the IPMs would have the words MIDWIFE PRACTITIONER on their business cards. The word PRACTITIONER tells the world that this particular midwife conducts their own private practice and distinguishes them from a midwife who is in employment. IPMs also use their business cards to tell the world that they are specialists in NATURAL BIRTHS (we don't want to be confused with the Nurse Practitoners who can prescribe drugs) We believe that if a woman is sick enough to have to take prescribed drugs then she needs to consult with a medical practitioner.
We IPMs are specifically going to Canberra to right some wrongs, including the inequality that exists in Government support for maternity health professionals so while we are there we are also going to petition Tony Abbot to re-look at Medicare provider numbers for midwives who provide primary care to pregnant women.
Obstetricians, GPs, physios, chiros all have medicare provider numbers. Obstetricians also get some support for their insurance premiums.
Midwife practitioners are primary carers and perform exactly the same service that an obstetrician does for a healthy woman and yet they have to do it without the benefit of Government Medicare support and without any indemnity insurance. We want to right this wrong. If we get Medicare provider numbers then the flow-on will occur for our colleagues who work in primary care case load situations.
IPMs are not covered vicariously by any employer - therefore we need to look at ways of obtaining indemnity insurance for oursleves. Seeking Federal Government support is just ONE of the avenues we are exploring - We need to do SOMETHING about insurance before we become extinct! Once the private arm of midwifery disappears women wanting personalised care from a midwife will have to go hopping - already there are more unattended home births than those having a registered midwife in attendance.
it will take years for the hospitals to have every midwife taking on her own case load. forming true partnerships with women and begin to offer women a choice of birth venue. Until that happens I hope our colleagues will continue to support us in attempting to provide a safe, satisfying and COST FREE service to women who want to give birth at home.
Hope this helps you understand our cause and I hope lots of SA supporters of primary midwifery care will fill out those hands and write lots of letters to Tony Abbott and send them to him for International Midwives Day. Remind Tony to join in the celebrations on 5th May when you sign your letter.
Yours in women's choice
Jan
Jan Robinson Independent Midwife Practitioner
National Coordinator Australian Society of Independent Midwives
8 Robin Crescent South Hurstville NSW 2221 Phone/Fax: 02 9546 4350
e-mail address: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> website: www.midwiferyeducation.com.au
