Access to the safe maternity care of a woman’s choice is a basic right that should be universally available to all women in Australia. But currently women are unable to receive intrapartum care from a private midwife if they are planning a hospital birth.
The sole professional indemnity insurance policy (PII) for endorsed midwives remains without an acceptable solution one month on from the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) notifying Australian Government Department of Health and MIGA of a significant gap in the policy for midwives to provide early labour care for a woman, in her home, who is planning a hospital birth.
This insurance gap impacts individual midwives, private midwifery practices and birthing on country models in the ACCHO sector. Most importantly, this insurance gap impacts birthing women.
Women are delaying calling their midwife and midwives are concerned about working outside of their registration requirements. “This is an avoidable situation. Women should not be worrying about whether their midwife is allowed to provide quality care.”
“Women should also not have to attend a hospital in early labour due to a resolvable insurance gap. The Government need to act now to protect midwives and women with a viable insurance product,” says Alison Weatherstone.