Dear Barb and all! Great I knew you would be onto as many angles as Possible! I just want to encourage all you politician letter writers to send a copy to the oppposition it not only makers the reciepient consider your request more earnestly it informs the others and they make some promise if"they were in government" if they get into power lter you have a promise of support to call on! So I will forward a copy of my email note and use the addresses Denise ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vernon at Stringybark" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "STEPHEN FLINT" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "ozmid" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 10:06 AM Subject: Re: URGENT - 23 April national PI Summit
Thanks Denise. Justine Caines has already been in touch with Meg Lees office - we met with meg Lees last September on the PI issue and she was very supportive. Her office is meeting today with Kay Patterson's office and they intend to raise the issue of midwife PI insurance being on the agenda for the summit. > From: "STEPHEN FLINT" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 09:32:52 +1000 > To: "Vernon at Stringybark" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "ozmid" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: URGENT - 23 April national PI Summit > > Dear Barb and others, > Would it not be worthwhile asking the federal Labour and Democrat health > spokesperson to encourage with Kay Patterson to acknowledge midwives and > maternity consumers have the current highest interest in the PI situation by > having them at this summit?? > This can be simply done by a CC on the bottom of letters with copies to the > relevant MP/Senators. > Denise > PS > I will send an email and add that by not having midwives and maternity > consumers at the summit this government is anti-competeitve and not > suppotive of consumer choice. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Vernon at Stringybark" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "ozmid" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 9:18 PM > Subject: URGENT - 23 April national PI Summit > > > Dear List, > > Maternity Coalition has been advised by someone working closely with > government on the PI issue that midwives are not being considered as part of > the AHMAC Working Group on PI report for the next Health minister's meeting > (due in May 2002). This is despite the referral of this issue to the > Working Group by the September 2001 Health Minister's meeting in Adelaide. > > We are also unsure whether or not the 23 April National Summit on PI > insurance to be hosted by fed health minister Kay Patterson includes > consideration of the effects of this issue on midwives. At the moment we > have been unable to get a clear commitment that it will. > > I have written and sent the following letter today. I would urge all > interested organizations and individuals to send similar letters to the > federal health minister ASAP. MC is seeking consumer representation at the > meeting. We've probably got bucklies but it is important to try and to > stress the importance of maternity consumers' interests being considered!! > > yours in midwife-led birthing, > > Barb Vernon. > > > > > The Hon. Senator Kay Patterson > Minister for Health & Ageing > Parliament House > CANBERRA ACT 2600 > > Dear Minister, > > Re National summit on health professional indemnity insurance > > I am writing to seek your urgent assurance that professional indemnity (PI) > insurance for midwives will be included on the agenda for the National > Summit on PI Insurance to be held on 23 April 2002 in Canberra. > > The Maternity Coalition is a national non-profit umbrella organisation > committed to improving maternity care for women during pregnancy, birth and > the postnatal period, through women having greater access to one-on-one care > from an expert midwife. > > Midwives are currently the only health professionals who have been forced to > cease practice altogether due to the lack of PI insurance. The withdrawal > of this service affects more than 7,000 thousand Australian women and their > families each year. The loss of this care is contrary to leading obstetric > research which shows that midwife-led care is both cost-effective and world > best-practice care for pregnant women. > > The Australian Health Ministers acknowledged the importance of this issue > last September when they referred the problem of PI insurance for midwives > to the AHMAC Medical Indemnity Working Group. Yet, extraordinarily, we have > information that suggests the Working Group has not considered the issue of > PI for midwives in the report it is preparing for the May Health Ministers¹ > meeting. > > The Maternity Coalition strongly urges you to include access for midwives to > affordable Professional Indemnity insurance on the agenda for the 23 April > Summit and to find workable solutions to restore private midwifery services. > This is particularly crucial in regional areas where childbirth services are > rapidly being shut down and women have no option but to travel long > distances to have their babies. > > In addition to seeking your commitment to address the lack of PI insurance > for midwives, the Maternity Coalition is keen to represent consumers of > maternity services at the Summit. We look forward to receiving an > invitation. > > Yours sincerely, > > > > Dr Barbara Vernon > National President > 8 April 2002 > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
