November 08, 2002

Professional indemnity insurance and registration as a midwife in the UK

The hot news here today is that the Nursing a nd Midwifery Council (NMC), the registration body for midwives and nurses in the UK, have decided not to introduce, at this time, a clause into the Code of Professional Conduct, making it mandatory for all nurses and midwives to hold professional indemnity insurance. Up until 1994, this has not been an issue, as midwives had PI insurance through their membership of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM). In 1994, the College withdrew their cover for independent midwives because they felt it was too expensive, leaving indeondent midwives to find their own insurance cover. This was possible through a verty few companies until March of this year, when this options was withdrawn.

Had the NMC decided to introduce this clause, it would have meant an immediate end to independent midwifery in the UK. Thankfully they have recognised that the insurance situation is beyond the control of the midwives and acted appropriately. Now is the time for the RCM to get off its backside and organise the necessary insurance as part of its membership (as they should have done in 1994). Many midwives left the RCM after their disastrous decision inf 1994 and joined Unison (the general union for health workers) in protest at the disenfranchisement of independent practitioners. In the UK, midwives must be a member of a union and the RCM had, up until 1994, been the union of choice.

Will the RCM be up to this challenge? On present indication the answer would have to be no - the message I hear loud and clear from midwives in workshops across this country is that the RCM is not taking up these issues and is focussing on pay rates rather than working conditions. They appear to be quite out of touch with midwives in the workforce. Perhaps a few of them should get back to work in hospitals and the community to find out what is really going on for midwives. Of course, being a member of the RCM executive seems to be a good way to become a Dame or get another gong from the Queen. Ah, the Royal touch........

Posted by andrea at November 08, 2002 04:18 AM

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