[ozmidwifery] Question on Notice to Tony Abbott re antenatal item issue and rural doctors

[suzi and brett]

Passing this on from email from Australian Democrates Womens Health Database, Suzi   Questions on Notice from Senator Allison that you may be interested in.  We will let you know once we receive the answers.   QUESTIONS ON NOTICE   Senator Allison asks the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing     1.      Is the Minister aware that the Rural Doctors Association have been quoted as saying “What you'll find is there are many, many nurses who are trained to provide antenatal who may not be current members of the Australian College of Midwives and so I don't think we should see this as limits to people who are currently registered as a midwife. There are many women who have provided antenatal care in the past"?   2.      If nurses are not trained as midwives, what other qualifications can they have that would equip them to provide antenatal care?   3.      How many nurses without midwifery qualifications are registered as midwives in Australia?   4.      How many nurses without midwifery qualifications are currently providing antenatal care in Australia?   5.      How many nurses not registered as midwives are currently providing antenatal care?   6.      Does the Minister agree that qualification as a midwife, registration as a midwife and membership of the Australian College of Midwives are not the same things?   7.      Will the new Medicare item rely on the delegating medical practitioner’s ability to delegate to ‘appropriately qualified and trained” staff?  If so, how will the government ensure that medical practitioner’s are aware of the difference between qualifications in midwifery, registration as a midwife and membership of the Australian College of Midwives?     Senator Lyn Allison 21 August 2006 Regards Siobhan Siobhan O'Mara Office Manager and Executive Assistant to Senator Lyn Allison Leader, Australian Democrats 1st Floor, 62 Wellington Parade East Melbourne VIC 3002 T: 03 9416 1880, Local call: 1300 130 427 F: 03 9417 1690 E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] W: www.democrats.org.au