Hi all, the below article was in Adelaide's The Advertiser on Monday 20th, also an article in The Australian today. What will become of our midwives as this insurance "virus" spreads ? How can the public trust midwives with birth if the 'powers that be' say they are a high risk group and remove them from practicing? Totally unfair!
Cheers Megan Resch HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WITH NO INDEMNITY INSURANCE JOIN FORCES Crisis panel formed as midwives lose cover BYLINE: By Health Reporter JILL PENGELLEY EDITION: 1 SECTION: News HEALTH professionals have formed a ``crisis committee'' to deal with growing problems finding indemnity insurance.Formation of the Professional Indemnity Crisis Committee was announced yesterday as the state's largest nursing agency revealed it could no longer obtain cover for its midwives. The committee includes representatives from the Australian Medical Association, the Australian Private Hospitals Association and the Nursing Agencies Association of Australia. The group has written to Premier Mike Rann asking for an urgent meeting. On Friday, SA nursing agency NASANSB, which lists 2000 nurses, learned it could not secure cover for its 170 midwives. The agency's managing director, Associate Professor Lyn Hepburn-Brown, said yesterday she had been to London to talk to an underwriter. ``They weren't interested in the Australian market,'' she said. ``It was (seen as) a litigation minefield.'' One insurer talked about charging $800,000 to cover 170 midwives, compared with the $70,000 the agency paid to cover all 2000 staff last year, she said. Since 4pm Friday the agency's midwives have been able to accept only general nursing work. Professor Hepburn-Brown said insurance still was being sought and staff who were rostered but could not work would be paid by the agency. It was also possible for hospitals to agree to provide the cover. AMA state president Dr Michael Rice said it was the State Government' s job to fix the insurance crisis. ``People won't work without being covered,'' he said. ``If they're not going to work, what's the community got? Services will disappear and that's the most serious matter.'' Dr Rice said legislative change and a change in community expectations about insurance payouts were called for. ``The community has to start getting real about what they can expect to get for nothing. ``Rann's got to show some leadership and fix this problem,'' Dr Rice said. NASANSB is the first agency to lose midwife insurance. Others could follow as they seek policy renewal. The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia), 05-20-2002, pp 003 -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
