Local midwives need better support
May 12, 2011
Federal Member for Murray, Dr Sharman Stone spoke up in Parliament yesterday in defence of our local midwives.
A debate corrected some problems with Commonwealth subsidised insurance for midwives working in clinics but still leaves real problems for others.
“Under the current Midwife Professional Indemnity Scheme, self-employed midwives who assist in home-births are not able to access the Commonwealth supported insurance,” Sharman Stone said today.
“These midwives are still allowed to deliver babies at home without the insurance until June 2012, but no one knows what will happen after that date.
“While the Labor Government has given midwives exemptions from having insurance for home-births until June 2012, it requires these midwives to have insurance for pre and anti natal visits. This is a totally confused and inadequate policy,” Sharman Stone said.
“As well, the Commonwealth midwife insurance program provided through the Medical Insurance Group Australia (MIGA) will not insure midwives who assist in fewer than 30 deliveries per year.
“This requirement might be reasonable for a midwife in the city but many country midwives do not have a call to support over 30 deliveries per year. That does not mean that they are less qualified or skilled midwives.
“There is a further insurance restriction for midwives insured under the new government insurance scheme. They are not eligible for the MIGA insurance until three years after they graduate.
“Can you imagine any other newly qualified professional being denied insurance for three years?” Sharman Stone said.
Sharman Stone praised Andrea Quanchi in Parliament. “Andrea is our only local midwife remaining in private practice. Andrea, with over 25 years experience serves the needs of families from southern NSW through to northern Victoria.
These on-going issues make it difficult for Andrea to keep offering her home-birth midwifery services. It also makes it difficult for Andrea to bring her newly graduated midwife daughter into her practice.
“I have asked the government to immediately address these problems as they seriously effect the options country women have when deciding where best to give birth and who they want to support them.
“They are also serious issues for the recently graduated and experience midwives,” Sharman Stone said.
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