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Jan
There are a few things I have corrected eg
Greens Health Spokesperson Senator Nettles, (bob is not the leader the Greens
do not have this position!)
Leader of the Democrats Senator Lyn Allison,
And something I have reworded as follows
Denise
The Hon Tony Abbott
Minister for Health and Ageing
Parliament
House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Mr Abbott,
Maternity Care:
Choice and Equity for Australian Women and Midwives.
I write to
support Maternity Coalition’s campaign seeking urgent Government assistance for
independently practicing midwives to obtain professional indemnity (PI)
insurance. Independent midwives are the only health practitioners in Australia
without PI insurance.
Recommendations by the Howard Government that
states and territories legislate to require all health practitioners to hold PI
insurance are in fact discriminatory in their impact on women’s birth choices.
This is because midwives have been unable to purchase PI insurance for solely
commercial reasons. Due to the small numbers of midwives in private practice
(around 200 Australia wide), insurers have withdrawn access to affordable PI for
private midwifery services 3 years ago. This is despite these practitioners
having an exemplary insurance history and the World Health Organisation and
Cocherane International Database acknowledging midwives as the most appropriate
carer for healthy women.
Unlike any other medical area, pregnant Australian women are encouraged and
supported to receive specialist care without a health indication or complaint.
Thus current Australian services are unnecessarily expensive and do not reflect
international best practice, as developed countries with the lowest maternal and
newborn mortality and morbidity rates have maternity systems where midwives
provide primary care for up to 80% of pregnant women.
Representations by
consumers and midwives to the government seeking indemnity assistance for
midwives have been ignored. Meanwhile obstetricians receive a 50% premium
subsidy by the Federal Government and are cost shifting their private work onto
the public purse through the Medicare safety net. Therefore not providing any
assistance to midwives is discriminatory and re-inforces the anti-competitive
state of our over- priced, inefficient maternity services.
Funding
access to PI insurance for midwives would also help address the dearth of
maternity services in rural and remote areas. Experiences in Canada shows that
midwifery based services can redress the desperate situations of indigenous
communities
As evidence is mounting that families and communities gain an many levels
with access to women-centred, midwifery led care, continuing the monopoly of
fragmented maternity care options which focus on the needs of practitioners and
institutions, are contrary to the Howard Government’s commitment to
strengthening families.
For all these reason the Howard Government needs to urgently redress current
inequitable situation regarding PI insurance for midwives and consumers of
midwifery care.
Yours sincerely
cc. Federal
Representative,
Prime Minister John Howard,
Leader of the Opposition Kim Beasley,
Greens Health Spokesperson Senator Nettles,
Leader of the Democrats Senator Lyn Allison,
Denise Hynd
"Let us support one another, not just in philosophy but in action, for the
sake of freedom for all women to choose exactly how and by whom, if by anyone,
our bodies will be handled."
— Linda Hes
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2005 5:06
AM
Subject: [ozmidwifery] ENDING GOVERNMENT
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MIDWIVES
WOULD ALL OZ-MIDDERS WHO WANT TO SEE AUSTRALIAN MIDWIVES
CONTINUE TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO PRIVATE PRACTICE PLEASE LOBBY LOBBY THE FEDERAL
MINISTER FOR HEALTH, TONY ABBOT
HELP KEEP OUR PROFESSION
ALIVE
WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE PRIVATE ARM MIDWIVES ARE A BIT OF A JOKE IN THE
EYES OF OTHER PROFESSIONALS
MIDWIVES ARE HANDICAPPED IN THEIR ABILITY TO
OFFER CONTINUITY OF CARE TO HEALTHY WOMEN WITHOUT FEDERAL ASSISTANCE WITH
MEDICATE AND INSURANCE
DON'T FORGET TO CC THE PRIME MINISTER, THE
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION KIM BEASLEY, LEADER OF THE GREENS,BOD BROWN, LEADER
OF THE DEMOCRATS ANDREW BARTLETT
DON'T FORGET TO PUT THE DATE UP
TOP OF YOUR LETTER
YOUR SIGNATURE, NAME AND ADDRESS GOES GOES AT THE
BOTTOM
MAKE SURE YOUR LETTERS GET TO THE HON TONY IN TIME FOR
INTERNATIONAL MIDWIVES DAY 5TH MAY. DEADLINE FOR POSTING IS 3RD MAY
2005
The Hon Tony Abbott
Minister for Health and
Ageing
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Prime
Minister
Maternity Care: Choice and Equity for Australian
Women
I write to support Maternity Coalition’s campaign seeking
urgent assistance for independently practicing midwives in obtaining
professional indemnity (PI) insurance. Independent midwives are now the only
health practitioners in Australia without PI insurance.
I believe recommendations were made by
your Government that states and territories pass legislation requiring all
regulated health practitioners to hold PI insurance as a consumer safety
mechanism. Every consumer deserves this safety; women that choose the care of
independently practicing midwives have been denied this safety for 3
years.
Over the last 3 years consumers and
midwives have made representations to government seeking indemnity assistance
for midwives. Refusal to provide assistance to midwives is discriminatory and
anti-competitive: Private obstetricians are afforded a 50% premium subsidy by
the Federal Government and through the new Medicare reforms, are entitled to
package their care and cost shift their private work onto the public purse
through the Medicare safety net.
I believe
independent midwives have been unable to purchase PI insurance world-wide.
Contrary to some opinion this is not because they have a poor insurance
record, it is simply due to their small numbers (around 200 Australia wide),
these midwives in fact have an exemplary insurance history.
Midwives are able to provide the entire
carriage of care for healthy pregnant women. Midwives are providing the same
service as an obstetrician or general practitioner (when surgical intervention
is not performed).
In rural and remote areas
midwifery care is essential to providing safe and accessible care. Many rural
women contract community midwives so they can receive care within their
community from a female provider.
For indigenous
women the situation is more extreme. The vast majority of indigenous women
living in rural communities are transported to a larger centre prior to giving
birth. Not all women are willing participants and many refuse to leave
‘country’. Midwives are then called on to provide care for these women,
Without this care indigenous women will not access antenatal care and will not
receive care during birth from a registered provider. Antenatal care for
indigenous women by a trusted carer has been proven to provide better outcomes
(particularly to increase a baby’s birth
weight).
Midwifery care has a social and medical
component and thus provides the opportunity to address issues such as
substances abuse, housing and relationship issues. Your Government has said it
is committed to strengthening families. Pregnancy provides a perfect time to
support parents before the birth of a child. Australia’s current maternity
system does not even attempt to do this. It is highly fragmented and focuses
on the needs of practitioners and institutions, rather than families.
I ask that you assist midwives to
purchase affordable PI insurance immediately. I hope the Federal Government
does not intend to actively discriminate against midwives and consumers of
midwifery care.
Yours
sincerely
cc. Federal Representative, Prime Minister John
Howard, Leader of the Opposition Kim Beasley, Leader of the Greens Bob Brfown,
Leader of the Democrats Andrew
Bartlett
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
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