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Greens will move to protect women?s right to choose safe homebirthShare
Today at 09:06
Senator Rachel Siewert
Australian Greens Senator for WA

MEDIA RELEASE

Friday 31st July 2009

Greens will move to protect women?s right to choose safe homebirth

The Greens will move in the Senate to protect the rights of women to choose safe homebirths if the Government does not change its proposed legislation, Australian Greens health spokesperson Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

The Greens will move amendments to legislation on midwife services when it comes into the Senate in the coming weeks to ensure that mothers continue to have the option of a homebirth with the assistance of a registered midwife, without incurring huge financial penalties.

"The Greens' amendments will allow private midwives to continue to provide safe, low risk homebirth services in full collaboration with obstetricians and other health services. The Government legislation as it stands will effectively make it illegal for a qualified midwife to attend a homebirth in Australia and imposes heavy financial penalties for the midwife," Senator Siewert said.

"This will be dangerous for mothers and babies. It flies in the face of international trends in maternity care and appears completely inconsistent with the Government?s stated policy of providing pregnant women with greater choice and less interventionist maternity care.?

"As it stands, the legislation will ostracise a vital part of our health provision in the community. Independent midwives are providing an outstanding service for mothers who choose to give birth to their baby at home. What this legislation will do is drive them underground - we?ll see a return to the dark days of unsupervised childbirth, malpractice and the appalling tragedies that will undoubtedly follow.?

The Greens broadly welcomed the Government's proposals to modernise maternity services.

"Including midwives in the Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is a significant step forward and we welcome the proposed Commonwealth-supported professional indemnity insurance (PII) scheme, but it must include all midwives and safe birthing options," Senator Siewert concluded.

For more information or media enquiries please call Tim Norton on 0418 401 180


Tim Norton
Communications and Campaigns
Office of Rachel Siewert | Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia
Suite SG-113 Parliament House, Canberra ACT | P: 02 6277 3741 | F: 02 6277 5762
Tim.Norton@aph.gov.au | M: 0418 401 180
Rachel Siewert | Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia | Greens MPs | Australian Greens Senators

:clap: :clap:

YEAH!!!

Awesome!!!!

Hhhmmm.... I have one problem with this.

'will allow private midwives to continue to provide safe, low risk homebirth services in full collaboration with obstetricians and other health services'.

Will this mean that women still have to be seen by a mainstream medical professional? What about 'high risk' like HBAC?

I don't want to put a dampener on it but I'm overly cautious about independent midwifery becoming overly legislated by the medical model of care.

It's also not ovely clear on how they want to see the legislation change. Are they wanting to give the IM's indemnity insurance?

I'm a greens voter but i'm also very sceptical in general about politicians.

Meekoh
(HBAC)

It's great to see a political party getting behind this - yay for the Greens!

Woot WOO!! a small but positive step in the right direction!

YAY!!!

will the green's votes be enough though?

Good to hear something positive for a change!!! Go Greens!

YEH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woohoo! Yet another reason why I am glad I vote Green.

I don't think they have enough votes on their own, but hopefully once a mainstream political party come on board, other independents will follow suit. Hopefully it will be a wake-up call to the government what has the potential to be good legislation is being spoiled by this damaging blow it deals to independent midwifery.

It would be lovely for IM's to have Indemnity Insurance and or for homebirth to be covered somewhat by Medicare but at worst I would happily see it go back to the way it was before the Maternity sercvices review and pay for their wonderful services and trust them to deliver my children without that insurance... The first option is ideal but I would like my choice back either way..