Please find below a media statement for Nicola Roxon regarding a Midwives/Nurse Practitioner Amendment. The point that will redefine the fundamental nature of midwifery and certainly homebirth midwifery in Australia is that “collaborative arrangements with medical practitioners will be required to access the new arrangements”. In short this amendment will require midwives to work with GP obstetricians and private obstetricians and have a “collaborative arrangement” in place at all times.
This is NOT acceptable. How will it be possible for a midwife who attends homebirths and for women wishing to birth at home to gain the support of a GP ob or private obstetrician when their own college statement does not support homebirth.
“The College does not support Home Birth or ‘Free-standing’ Birth Centres (without adjacent obstetric and neonatal facilities) as appropriate Health Care Settings. The College acknowledges that a very small minority of women will choose to birth in these centres, even if appropriately informed of the consequences” RANZCOG statement
Please assist us by attending a rally near you. Please see below for details
THE HON NICOLA ROXON MP
MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING
MEDIA STATEMENT – 5 NOVEMBER 2009
Midwives/ Nurse Practitioner Amendment
The Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon has today circulated an amendment the Government intends to introduce into the Health Legislation (Midwives and Nurse Practitioners) Bill and the Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Bill.
This amendment makes clear in the legislation something that was articulated both on introduction of the Bill to parliament and in the explanatory material tabled at that time.
Following requests for clarification, this amendment will simply clarify in legislation that collaborative arrangements with medical practitioners will be required to access the new arrangements.
The details of these requirements will be specified in subordinate legislation following the ongoing consultation with the professional groups.
These bills are a key plank of the Government’s 2009/10 Budget commitments which recognises for the first time the role of appropriately qualified and experienced midwives and nurse practitioners in our health system.
The Minister for Health and Ageing said today “I thank the doctors, nurses and midwives for their constructive engagement to date to ensure these new opportunities for nurses and midwives are implemented in an integrated fashion for the benefit of patients.”
For more information contact the Minister’s office on 02 6277 7220.
RALLY INFORMATION
BRISBANE
If you would like your voice heard - particularly if you missed out on the Canberra rally - then please go to:
Kevin Rudd’s electoral office
630 Wynumm Road
Morningside
Monday 9th November 2009
10:30am (9:30am Daylight Saving Time!)
Women, children, men, families, friends who support choice in birth, including homebirth with a private midwife.
Bring a ‘calling card’ to drop off, letting our Prime Minister know that women want choice in childbirth and this includes the choice to hire a private midwife to birth at home - insured and funded. The calling card should be an A4 piece of paper (can be larger or smaller) with your name and address, concerns, experience, suggestions and a request for a response from Kevin Rudd about this important issue.
The rally was suggested by Homebirth Australia and is supported by the Home Midwifery Association and Maternity Coalition.
I look forward to seeing many of you next Monday. Brisbane HMA Support Group is cancelled. Please pass this information on to those you may know are not on this list.
VICTORIA
In solidarity with our northern sisters (who will be rallying outside Kevin Rudds Brisbane office), please come and rally outside Deputy Prime Minster Julia Gillard’s Werribee office this coming Monday, from 10.30 am.
As a result of the mess that maternity reform has become and the unclear but seemingly very poor options for homebirthing women, Homebirth Australia, with the support of Maternity Coalition, are hosting a rally outside Julia Gillard’s electorate office in WERRIBEE.
We need this to be as big as possible. We invite other groups to join the rally to make this the beginning of a very clear election campaign.
Homebirth: Our bodies Our babies Our Choice
Julia Gillard needs to be made to understand very clearly that there is a problem. We have tried writing submissions, protesting in Maribyrnong and Canberra, contacting the health minister Nicola Roxon by phone and email, but she is not listening. It is time we took the fight to Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.
Julia Gillard’s electoral office
Shop 2, 36 Synnot Street
Werribee, VIC, 3030
Monday 9th November 2009 from 10:30am
Women, children, men, families, friends who support choice in birth, including homebirth with a private midwife.
Bring banners, drums and percussion instruments. Let’s make sure we are seen and heard!!
Bring a ‘calling card’ to drop off, letting our Deputy Prime Minister know that women want choice in childbirth and this includes the choice to hire a private midwife to birth at home (or in hospital) - insured and funded. The calling card should be an A4 piece of paper (can be larger or smaller) with your name and address, concerns, experience, suggestions and a request for a response from Julia Gillard about this important issue.
The rally was suggested by Homebirth Australia and is supported by Maternity Coalition.
More info
HBA: Justine Caines justine.caines@gmail.com 0408 210 273
MC: Melissa McFarlane melissa@boundlessblue.com.au 0423 155 460
SYDNEY
MONDAY 9TH NOV 2009 from 10.30 am
Tanya Plibersek
111-117 Devonshire Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Women, children, men, families, friends who support choice in birth, including homebirth with a private midwife.
Bring banners, drums and percussion instruments. Let’s make sure we are seen and heard!!
Bring a ‘calling card’ to drop off, letting our Minister for the status of women know that women want choice in childbirth and this includes the choice to hire a private midwife to birth at home (or in hospital). The calling card should be an A4 piece of paper (can be larger or smaller) with your name and address, concerns, experience, suggestions and a request for a response from Tanya Plibersek about this important issue.
The rally is being organised by Homebirth Australia and is supported by Maternity Coalition.
More info
HBA: Jo Hunter jophil@aapt.net.au 0412 315 228
MC: Lisa Metcalf l.metcalfe@tpg.com.au 0437 577 576
If you live nearby please consider getting to one of the rallies and letting the Prime Minister and deputy Prime minister know that this is completely unacceptable.
Regards
Homebirth Australia