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Representing Private Midwives

Supporting Women Through Continuity

Safe - Satisfying - Supportive

WHO ARE WE

Who Are We? What Do We Do?

National President: Marie Heath

Treasurer/Public Officer:

Sonja McGregor

Committee Members:

Clare Lane

Abby Rodda

Andrea Codega

Pete Malavisi

Private Midwives provide care to women on a one to one basis. Women have the benefit of forming a relationship with their midwife that lasts from early pregnancy, through labour and birth and during the early weeks of parenting. Unlike many women giving birth in Australia those who choose a private midwife know who will be caring for them.

Private midwives provide care for women planning a home birth, or choosing to give birth in a hospital or birth centre.

In November 2011, Medicare funding for private midwives was established. Women choosing the services of a medicare funded private midwife are able to claim rebates.

Private midwives consult with other maternity health professionals as needed, so even if you need the care of a medical practitioner during pregnancy or in labour you can be assured that your midwife will continue to provide vital primary care.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership

Membership is $50 per annum. APMA is the peak advoacy group for private midwives. APMA represents the interests of private midwives to politicians and policy makers at a state and federal level. As a member you will receive regular email updates Members can also participate in the development of APMA policies regarding private midwifery and responses to government and bureaucracy. APMA has an active members email group. Membership is open to all current private midwives, midwives with previous experience in private midwifery who wish to remain informed and support private and midwifery students that wish to enter private practice on completion of their degree.If you wish to be a member email details of your private midwifery experience/aspirations. Your membership will be sent to the committee for approval and payment details will be forwarded on approval.

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CAMPAIGN

Please support our NEW Mums Matter campaign: We believe that for too long pregnancy,birth and postnatal care has been designed to suit the needs of nearly everyone else but women and their babies. We are taking this campaign to Canberra. Demanding that women are able to decide. JOIN the campaign

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CONTACT

Please use the contact form for any further information regarding APMA's activities or to contact your local representative.

MEDIA

Private Midwives in the Media

AUSTRALIAN PRIVATE MIDWIVES ASSOCIATIONNEWS RELEASE Monday 24 October 2011Contact: Liz Wilkes: 0423 580 585 Marie Heath 0407 266 004Birth Safety: Urgent Need for Minister to ActThe recent flood of media in recent days around the birth choices of women demonstrates the deepening crisis facing the Australian maternity system. Marie Heath, President of the Australian Private Midwives Association stated that despite repeated attempts to engage with state and federal politicians, including the Prime Ministers office, there has been no recognition of the failure of the government to resolve the countries maternity crisis. The 2008 review of Maternity Services recognized that significant problem existed Ms Heath stated, The Labor Government embarked on a series of reforms but have done nothing to see them through. We have midwives who have jumped through hoops to gain Medicare, but are unable to provide funded birth care. There is no ability for self-employed midwives to provide birth care in hospital due to a lack of co-ordination between the states and the Commonwealth. Despite a clear call from many women those wanting to birth at home have been completely rejected. Recent media has highlighted the increasing trend toward freebirth where women birth at home without a midwife and a significant increase in births attended by unregistered midwives or care providers. There has also been a scrutiny of births gone wrong. Women will never stop choosing the option to have a baby at home Ms Heath added The current inertia with Medicare reforms and push to further regulate midwives is forcing women, many who have been injured within the maternity system, to birth at home alone. Ms Heath stated that an urgent response from Minister Roxon was now necessary. Australian women and babies are suffering. The maternity reforms that saw the introduction of Medicare have failed dismally. Homebirth was not funded and Medicare eligible midwives have been prevented from gaining visiting access in state managed hospitals. Only the ACT Health Minister has agreed to meet with APMA. Minister Roxons office has been briefed, the Prime Ministers office has now shut the door, and despite approach after approach with the states APMA has nowhere else to take this critical issue. Rather than point the finger at women lets hold our elected officials to account. said Ms Heath ENDSAUSTRALIAN PRIVATE MIDWIVES ASSOCIATIONNEWS RELEASE (Friday 26 August, 2011)Reform Basket case: Roxon forces midwives to collaborate, now they face regulatory action if they doContact: Liz Wilkes: 0423580585In a further debacle with Commonwealth maternity reform self- employed midwives have found themselves at a legislative intersection that could prevent them from supporting women in birth. The impact of Commonwealth legislation guiding the conditions of midwife insurance and definition of practice by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia leaves self- employed midwives in breach of conditions of registration merely for providing emotional support or advocacy to women who are admitted patients of public hospital.National registration has been a headache from the very beginning Marie Heath, President of the Australian Private Midwives Association stated today Coupled with poor consultation with self-employed midwives and no appropriate modelling of the way midwives could work using Medicare we have ended up with completely unworkable conditions.APMA has been working hard to obtain clarification from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia about the definitions, which effectively require self-employed midwives to handover care and walk away from their clients in the event that they become a patient in a public hospital.This is an everyday event for self-employed midwives. Ms Heath added,We are required to consult with obstetricians. Now, we face potential regulatory action if this occurs in a hospital.The clients of self-employed midwives around the country have echoed Ms Heaths concerns about lack of government and regulator response to this problem. Rebecca Jenkinson who is due to have her third baby in less than 3 weeks said the situation is extremely distressing. My midwife has been with me from the day I realised I was pregnant again. I find it unfathomable that at the moment I might need her most, she would be unable to be with me.Ms Heath indicated that a significant response from Health Minister Nicola Roxon would be required to resolve this situation.The insurers hands are tied, they have tendered to provide a product determined completely by the Commonwealth and now are left to piece together a solution. It has been a characteristic of these reforms that whenever a problem is encountered everyone appears to turn their heads to avoid looking for a solution. It is time for the Commonwealth and the NMBA to get real about the workforce the Medicare reforms are targeted at the self-employed midwife and to sort this out immediately. Women who have been receiving Medicare funded care are now being left at the door and this is completely unacceptable.Marie Heath President Australian Private Midwives Association

NEWS

In The News

Insurers deliver mother of blows to private midwivesJulie Robotham, Sydney Morning HeraldAugust 27, 2011PRIVATE practice midwives who attend a woman during labour and then transfer her to a public hospital to give birth have been warned they could be deregistered if they even enter the delivery suite to comfort and support their client.The sectors indemnity provider, Medical Insurance Group Australia, has advised almost 200 private midwives who it insures under an agreement struck last year with the federal government to tell their pregnant clients of the situation, which has been prompted by what midwifery representatives say are vexatious complaints against midwives.We recommend you let them know in advance that, if they are transferred to a public hospital you will not be insured for any care you provide to the woman after her admission, the companys CEO, Mandy Anderson, wrote. It is much better dealing with it before the event happens so all are clear what to expect. Midwives who choose to stay with women despite the advice would risk their right to practise, because they are required by law to have insurance or a specific exemption for all aspects of the care they provide.Midwifery groups say they will be forced to abandon women at the door of the hospital, flying in the face of strong research evidence that birth progresses more readily and is less frightening to women attended by one person they know and trust.Tracy Martin, the president of the Australian College of Midwives, said she was seeking urgent advice from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia over whether non-invasive care, such as encouraging a woman verbally or wiping her skin, is to be considered part of formal practice and therefore potentially a breach of registration conditions.Its about the [board] failing to clarify the difference between a support person and a midwife, Ms Martin said. We dont know where to go from here.A spokeswoman for the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, which oversees the board, said it was, dealing with it and preparing a response.The legislated terms of midwives registration have not changed, and The Saturday Age understands the new advice was prompted by a doctors complaint that a midwife who applied a heat pack to a womans back after the hospital had assumed control of her care was working outside her registration conditions.Ms Anderson, from the insurer, said access to a midwife throughout labour was, very important to continuity of care We really understand the difficult position this puts [midwives] in.But the terms of its agreement with government prevented the company from extending cover to public hospitals, Ms Anderson said.A spokeswoman for the Australian Private Midwives Association, Liz Wilkes, said: I dont feel comfortable abandoning someones care. Everyones in agreement. Were just there to give advocacy and support, but we cant provide that care as [the law] is currently worded.Source: www.theage.com.auhttp://www.theage.com.au/victoria/insurers-deliver-mother-of-blows-to-private-midwives-20110826-1jej8.html?from=age_sb

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