Dear midwife,
FYI and could you please forward to any interested consumers you are aware
of...
Dear fellow consumer activist,
WHY THIS EMAIL?
In the current climate of lobbying for changes in the delivery of maternity
services, particularly for governments to ensure women continue to have
access to independently practicing midwives, consumers have a vital role to
play. Our voices will be essential if the current dominance of maternity
care by a high technology, medicalised model is to be successfully
challenged. Midwifery care, in the true sense outlined by the World Health
Organisation, has been proven to produce better outcomes for the majority if
not all women and babies. Yet at present in Australia a very small
percentage of women have access to midwifery models of care in birth centres
or at home.
Since the onset in July of the crisis brought about by the withdrawal of
professional indemnity cover for independent midwives, the level of activism
by consumer organisations around Australia has been fantastic. Consumer
organisations, often in collaboration with midwives, have done much to raise
public awareness of the importance of this issue to birthing women.
In many States/Territories politicians and health officials have also been
lobbied.
SO WHY THIS PROPOSAL FOR A NATIONAL BODY?
There would be great value in all of the various consumer organisations
around Australia coming together (at least on the internet) to form a
national consumers organisation of some sort.
We are all working in our various States for similar goals:
- the right of women to choose midwives as their primary caregiver for
pregnancy, birth and postnatally...
- the rights of consumers to be provided with information to enable them
to make informed decisions about obstetric interventions...
- for pregnancy and birth to be treated as a normal albeit significant
event in a woman's life not as an illness...
- for women to be provided with care that recognizes and respects the
emotional element of giving birth not just the medical...
- for maternity services to be sensitive to women's differing cultural
and physical needs and to treat birth with great respect...
- etc...
A national consumer body would enable us to put out press releases on
national issues, to quickly share information and experiences, and to
represent a much larger number of women when lobbying politicians,
bureaucrats and other decision makers. It would help bring home the message
that there is widespread consumer demand for a better deal from our
maternity services. And importantly it would give consumers the ability to
represent views to federal politicians, bureaucrats and media with a much
wider membership base than any of the organisations have on their own. In
the current pre-election climate this would be a major advantage.
HOW WOULD A NATIONAL BODY WORK?
This would need to be determined by those interested in being involved. One
possibility is that a national association - whatever it might be called -
could be a loosely configured organisation operated mainly via email and
internet. It could be made up of member organisations rather than
individuals - with individuals continuing to belong to their relevant local
organisation. The national body could involve a few key people nominated
from each State/Territory organisation to be part of a 'virtual'
decision-making group that could quickly put out national press releases or
lobby pollies on issues that clearly have national relevance.
A National Maternity Consumers Association (just a thought for the name)
could exist fairly loosely, so that member organisations need not have any
loss of autonomy to do their own thing in their own State. Rather it could
exist in a form that enables it to represent national issues on a consensual
basis. Perhaps it could exist as an umbrella label only, with each
organisation signing off on any press release for eg under their own name
and incorporation.
WHAT WOULD A NATIONAL BODY DO?
One of the reasons I am proposing this idea now is that on 26 September,
members of the Maternity Coalition, the Australian Society of Independent
Midwives and the ACMI are meeting with Wooldridge (Coalition), Macklin (ALP)
and Lees (Democrats) to lobby for the federal government to take a stand on
protecting and extending women's access to midwifery care. Everything is on
our side - the economics of midwifery models of care, the scientific
evidence on improved outcomes, consumer satisfaction with this model of
care. But we are challenging a very powerful lobby in the guise of the
Obstetricians associations. And we do not underestimate the political clout
of the medical establishment. They would stand to loose much if we were
ultimately to be successful in having a majority of women birthing with
midwives, and a minority referred to obstetricians where necessary. But
this issue is too important to stand back and not act. A national consumers
organisation of some kind would assist with shoring up consumers credibility
and the strength of our (collective) arguments.
Other possible activities in the short term for a national organisation
would be preparing a submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission. The more submissions they receive on this issue the more likely
they will be to look into it as a priority.
SO WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
I am seeking expressions of interest from all consumer organisations around
Australia with an interest in improving maternity services and improving the
experience of birth for mothers and babies.
Please email me ASAP!! Please also forward this message to others whom you
may be aware of who may be interested. I welcome suggestions on how you
think it should/could work and who would like to be involved via the
internet.
regards,
Barb Vernon
Dr Barbara Vernon
Active Member of ACT Branch of the Maternity Coalition
Mother of 2 boys, 3yrs and 6 mths.
P.S. I have compiled the list of addressees from various emails posted to
the ozmidwifery mailing list over the past 2 months. If you have received
this message and it does not apply to you please excuse my having sent it to
you.
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