Wednesday 1 May 2013

Midwives write an open letter in the press to the Government













  • Government refuses urgent meeting with independent midwives
  • Women and midwives request for help ignored by health ministers
  • Women’s choices in childbirth to be denied. Women and midwives fight back
  • EU law may drive more women to birth alone
  • EU law will cost NHS maternity system approx. £12 million a year
  • Government ignore own commissioned report

The Health Minister has repeatedly ignored and refused requests for help from hundreds of women and midwives to stop the illegalisation of Independent Midwifery in October. They have refused an urgent request for a meeting from Independent Midwives UK to explain the barriers midwives have experienced in accessing insurance. They have no choice but to respond in an open letter to the press.  Independent Midwives UK is the organisation which represents Independent Midwives. Independent Midwives UK and women want the Government’s help to secure the insurance which is needed for them to remain legal.

A Department of Health consultation on the legislation concludes on 17th May 2013 with the likely outcome of making it a condition of registration for all healthcare professionals to have insurance despite it being not available for Independent Midwives, not because of clinical risk, but for commercial reasons.

Government Policy ‘Maternity Matters’ promises to improve women’s choice and standard of  maternity services, yet the new law will illegalise a midwifery service which currently meets the Governments own targets.

Independent Midwives care for approximately 3000 women a year, an estimated saving of £12 million for the NHS. This figure could increase as thousands more of midwives would work self-employed if insurance was available. At a time of a rising birth rate of 22% and deficit of 5000 midwives the Government are ignoring part of the solution to the plight of childbearing women and the national midwifery shortage.

Women will have no safe alternative choice to the NHS. Many women refuse to use the NHS, because of the failing system and state they would now choose to birth alone with no medical help. Public funds to the value of £260.000 have already been spent on the Governments recommended solution despite being informed by Independent Midwives that it is flawed.

Thousands of supporters have contacted the Health Minister Dan Poulter to inform him of the barriers facing midwives in accessing insurance and their dissatisfaction with the Governments response to an appeal for help. He constantly sends out standard replies which ignore the issues.

The campaign for a workable system of insurance for midwives has support from the Association for the Improvements in the Maternity Services, (AIMS) The National Childbirth Trust, (NCT) The Association of Radical Midwives (ARM) Doulas UK, as well as all birth choice campaign groups across the U.K.  All groups are urging Dan Poulter to meet with IM UK.

Many MPs have pledged support. Ian Duncan Smith assured his constituent Samantha Lealman, Independent Midwife, of his support. Samantha said “Before I left his office he looked me straight in the eye and said, 'I am 100% behind you, I really mean this, don't think it's just talk and nothing will happen. I will put the contents of this meeting in writing to you and then we will arrange to meet again after I have met with the cabinet to talk about what we can do next.' “

In April 2007 Prime Minister David Cameron said, “At a time when maternity units in the NHS are threatened with closure, there is a shortage of midwives in the health service generally, and Ministers are struggling to make good their promise of one-to-one care and genuine choice in childbirth, it would be utterly foolish to force independent midwives to cease practising”.  David Cameron has also assured his constituent that he has requested Dan Poulter meets with IMUK immediately, but to date Dan Poulter continues to refuse.

Supporters will be publically requesting a meeting between IMUK and Dan Poulter. IM UK publically request a meeting with Dan Poulter by 10th May 2013.

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