Today I attended a rally at the Australian Prime Minister's electoral office here in Brisbane. It was organised by the Maternity Coalition - Australia's national maternity consumer advocacy group, to protest proposed amendments to the "Medicare for Midwifes" bill (Medicare is the Australia's national single payer government healthcare system - not to be confused with the US Medicare system).

The amendments mean that doctors will be given the right to control whether a midwife can practice or not here in Australia - despite midwifery being a distinct, separately regulated profession. Here's a link to Australia's ABC News coverage of the rally and here's a link to the press release put out by the Maternity Coalition, my letter to Prime Minster Kevin Rudd, below and info on how to book a homebirth through the NHS if you live in the U.K. :


Monday 9 November, 2009

xxxx
Kenmore, 4069


Dear Mr Rudd,

I am writing to ask you to reconsider the plan to introduce new registration requirements for midwives, which stipulates that there must be a collaborative relationship with a doctor, for midwives to be able to practise.

Midwives in Australia are highly qualified professionals whose training provides them with all the skills necessary to assist women to give birth, under normal circumstances. As part of their duty of care, midwives know when to refer clients whose condition puts them in a higher risk category, for more specialised care. Midwives offer best practice care for women, offering continuity of care and birth choices which may not be available in a hospital setting.

Your government's proposed changes could only serve to make the registration process so difficult for independently practising midwives, that they would find themselves unable to practise. This would only result in fewer choices for birthing women. Instead of heading in the direction of the U.K, where the NHS funds midwifery care as fully as any other medical service, Australia will be resembling the U.S.A., where women wanting midwifery models of care, must travel interstate, to areas where it is supported.

I think you underestimate the passion and dedication that women have, all over Australia, to be able to birth in the place of their choice, under the care of dedicated midwives. A small, but powerful group of women recognise that midwives offer best practice care for normal birth and they will go to extraordinary measures to be able to achieve such care. Mr Rudd, you too, could go to extraordinary measures, to ensure that women all over Australia have the basic right to birth how and where and with whom they choose, or you could follow in the footsteps of the U.S.A., whose healthcare system is not one even the current president is proud of.

As a woman who has birthed in the U.S.A. and in Australia, I have experience of the vast difference between the kind of care available in these two countries and I urge you to reconsider your changes, because the system we have here in Australia, even without the full support of the government, like that which is available in the U.K., is far superior to that which women must endure in various states within the U.S.

I am available for further consultation, at the above address.

Sincerely,

Kelly Houston




From homebirth.org.uk.

How to book a home birth in the UK.

In the UK, normal pregnancy and childbirth care should come from midwives (as recommended by the government's 'Changing Childbirth' report). Home births are normally attended by Community Midwives. You can book a home birth direct with the Supervisor of Midwives at your local hospital. Simply call the hospital switchboard and ask to be put through to her, or ask for an address to write to her at. You do not need the permission, or even the approval, of your family doctor to arrange a home birth. You do not even need to discuss the matter with your GP, unless you want to. Your GP would not attend the birth apart from in exceptional circumstances; most GPs have little experience or training relevant to attending home births, and they will not have the experience or skills of a community midwife. The role of a GP in family healthcare is extremely valuable, but GPs are generalists; midwives are the experts in normal pregnancy and childbirth care, so it should not be considered disrespectful to your doctor to seek maternity care from a midwife.