Rob, it's really heartening to read what you have written.
I am off to Hobart tomorrow, and will be back Saturday evening. Without
people like you who are prepared to be passionate about what sort of opti=
ons
you want for maternity care, midwifery would go nowhere. Thanks.
Vanessa Owen has been elected (yesterday) National President of ACMI, and
Trish David as Vice Pres. Vanessa is in the process of moving to a new j=
ob
(at Werribee Mercy), and moving house. As soon as she is back on line I'=
m
sure she will be in touch with the list. In the meantime any messages of
support can be sent to Vanessa at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
WOMEN AND MIDWIVES ~ POWER IN PARTNERSHIP
Let's do all we can to support and strengthen each other.
Joy Johnston
-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Payne [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Tuesday, 31 August 1999 10:51
To:
Subject: MSES
Following the rally we had last week ( the success of which depends on
what you call success!!) I am continuing to raise the issue in the public=
's
eye about my concerns about MSES and accountability of funds. I have tri=
ed
to precis below what the issue is as I see it. Perhaps my concern is
unjustified, the whole point is, without some sort of accountability, how=
do
we know? I would really love to hear from Victorian midwives who share m=
y
concern about this money and how its being spent and what difference they
think MSES is going to make. When you think of what we could do with $61
million bucks if it was directed toward primary midwifery care and
women-centred care - its a crying shame to think it might all get pxx@@##=
up
against the wall and no one ever questions it. If they're doing
good -great. If they're not, we must expose it.
The Victorian Government, as part of the Maternity Services Enhancement
Strategy (MSES) has allocated $61 million to enhance maternity services.
The money is only available to hospitals even though part of the brief =
is
to be expanding women=92s choices in models of care and the development o=
f
"information" about pregnancy and childbirth.
At a workshop held on the 10th June 1999 by the Department I raised my
cynicism about
1.. what incentive did hospitals have to develop choices outside thei=
r
own perspective of maternity care?
2.. the development of information should be independent and not
attached to the provider of services
3.. how is the consumer to know that the money is being spent in
accordance with the strategy?
I was told not to worry and that the Reference Group that was being
established will act an accountability body to ensure that money is spenT
within the terms and spirit of the strategy.
To date, over a year into the strategy and no such group has been
convened. I have written to the minister and the department expressing m=
y
concerns and asking when this group will be convened. I have received no
response to these questions.
There are some good initiatives coming out of the strategy which I
acknowledge. However I have also since heard anecdotally from talking to
some midwives working in the units that money has been received by the
hospitals but has simply gone to making up the already existing budget
deficit from previous years. In other instances I have heard of funds bei=
ng
spent inappropriately (cars; EFM machines) all for antenatal care which i=
s
what the first year=92s funding was targeting. I have heard too that the
department are also concerned and doing some "internal" questioning.
If the Department really wants to know what=92s happening they should b=
e
conducting confidential interviews with midwives working in the units.
Midwives are too fearful for the job security to question their superiors=
on
what is happening or to speak out. However they know exactly what is
happening with that money.
The Department must convene that Reference Group which must include
consumers and all receivers of funds under the strategy should be
accountable to that group.
I will continue to write to the Department and the minister and write
letters to all newspapers and would encourage anyone else who could imagi=
ne
the things we could do with $61 million to improve maternity services in
this state, to do the same.
Please contact me for more information - Robin Payne 9380 2863.
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