Midwifery

Medical Indemnity in Australia: How one birth changed maternity services.

Justine Caines explores How one birth changed the maternity landscape and why this affects your choices NOW.

Will Women’s issues be the election slow burner? First of many electorate protests in Macquarie – the most marginal

Today women will gather in protest outside the Springwood Sports Club challenging Minister for women, Tanya Plibersek to do her job and protect the rights of women and candidate Susan Templeman to work to ensure safe maternity care that meets the needs of local women.

“This is the first of many protests demonstrating to both major parties that there is a Mums Army out their angrily demanding their basic rights.” said Justine Caines Homebirth Australia spokesperson.

Response: Safety and Quality Framework guiding Midwifery Care provided by Privately Practising Midwives attending homebirths from Homebirth Australia

Homebirth Australia suggests the following statement:

Quality and safety is a central feature of this framework. The right of women to informed consent is acknowledged as is a health professionals right to provide clinical information and advice. Health professionals have a responsibility to provide balanced information and to be confident that information is understood. Women have a responsibility to demonstrate they understand this information and to articulate ongoing decisions.

Homebirth Australia understands that this document and the approach from Government will be risk adverse. This approach does not however need to come at a cost of removing established rights of women. It would be prudent to address the fact that a growing number of women with what most obstetricians would consider a 'risk factor' are choosing homebirth and will continue to do so. If this is understood and articulated there is a much better chance to develop understanding and appropriate clinical pathways for consultation and referral. By ignoring or shunning the women that make these choices we risk underground practice and birth without a skilled attendant. Homebirth Australia does not support women being put in this position and hopes that government will accept this approach as part of a risk adverse strategy.

In the case of rural and remote Australia it seems perverse logic to accept that current options are 'safe' for women (removal from their families and the risk of road side birth whilst travelling in labour) while the care of a registered midwife at home is seemingly less safe.

Homebirth Australia Newsletter July 2010

Saturday July 30 2010