August 05, 2004

Pushing politicians to take action on birth

I am supposed to be on holidays at the moment but sometimes it is important to take time out to stay involved. Although the next Federal election date has not been announced, we are in full electioneering mode, with all politicians jockeying for position on policies and making announcements designed to win friends and influence the people.

Midwives and consumers have decided that enough is enough in regards to the dreadful rising intervention rates in birth and that we must sieze this opportunity of an election to put pressure on the Government to recognise midwifery and provide family friendly birth options. Everyone is being encouraged to write letters to a number of political leaders and to gain as much publicity as they can for this cause.

I've done my bit and sent off the following letters to all the political leaders (the first one to our current Prime Minister):

The Hon. John Howard
Prime Minister
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Mr Howard,
RE: WOMEN’S RIGHT TO CHOICE FOR BIRTH SERVICES
Australia has one of the highest caesarean section rates in the developed world, and rates of intervention in birth that continue to rise each year. These figures, compiled each year by the National Perinatal Statistics Unit, cannot be justified on any grounds and cannot be tolerated any longer. The impact on Australian families, through poorer health outcmes, added costs and overuse of unnecessary medical services is a position that must be addressed by Governments, both Federal and State. Other countries, notably the UK and the US, have reacted strongly to similar situations by introducing a range of policies and programs that are now lowering intervention rates across the board. Australian Governments must follow their example so that our women are not unnecessarily disadvantaged.
The simplest measure that would have the most immediate impact would be the expansion of midwifery care, through supporting independent practitioners and the expansion of community midwifery programs. The Federal Government bailed out the obstetricians by subsidising their professional indemnity insurance, and altered the Medicare arrangements to enable them to shift costs for private maternity care from families to taxpayers. As a result, intervention rates are rising further, at the expense of women’s and baby’s health and well being and considerable unaccounted financial burdens to taxpayers.
The Federal Government is already in receipt of many Governments reports clearly showing than an expansion of midwifery services will lower health costs, improve birth outcomes and provide freedom of choice in birth care for families. The current arrangements are discriminatory against midwives, who are professionals in their own right, anti-competitive and completely unsupported by evidence and extensive research.
It is time for the Government to show leadership in this matter and to resist the strong obstetric medical lobby, who are unwilling to provide transparency and accountability to support their abuse of the Medicare and private health care system that has produced the current situation.
Birth is not an illness and should not be treated as such. Midwifery care deserves your support, through legislation that extends to midwives the professional indemnity insurance currently provided to obstetricians and through the provision of Medicare provider numbers to independently practising midwives.
I urge you to consider these issues and to take the appropriate action to change this shameful treatment of Australia’s women and babies. Women make up half of your voters, and are entitled to equality, equity and fairness when accessing services for childbirth. I look forward to hearing of your plans in this regard.
Yours sincerely,
Andrea Robertson
Director, Birth International
Honorary Fellow, the Australian College of Midwives

I hope that we can have an effect on these politicians and that some sensible policies will be announced. The first political party to take these issues on will certainly get my vote!

Posted by andrea at August 05, 2004 10:14 AM