I hope you will enjoy hearing the Deputy PM saying that she is concerned that midwives have:
“limited opportunities to practise as primary carers and provide continuity of care to women”
and
“Unless and until the Government is shocked and shamed into realising that Australian women … blahblah”
and
“I believe that midwives … are key heath care professionals whose role in the care of women and their babies has yet to be fully realised in the Australian health care system”
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it! Perhaps Julia needs to be reminded of what she said before the Australian people voted Labor into office.
Joy Johnston
Midwifery By The Sea - Riding The Waves Of Change
Speech - ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF NSWMA
20th October 2005
Julia Gillard
[These are excerpts from the speech]
Thank you very much for your invitation to join you here today at your annual state conference by the sea.
…
The best start in life
It will not surprise this audience - I'm sure you will all agree - if I now say that I see the pregnant woman as the best focus for early intervention.
Between us we could draw up an impressive list of perinatal programs that would boost the health of the mother and her baby, and improve outcomes, and give all our kids the best start in life.
Obstetric services and workforce shortages
In the middle of this is the big event - the birth.
I know that midwives - as a group and individually - have strong ideas about what should be provided in terms of birthing services.
But shockingly, it is increasingly the case that for some women the idea of having a choice of birthing services and having continuity of care throughout their pregnancy, the birth and in the post-natal period is an impossible luxury - not just unaffordable, but unobtainable in their local area.
…
The shortage of midwives is also a problem. The Australian Health Workforce Advisory Committee estimates a current national shortage of 1850 midwives, and this is expected to increase over the remainder of the decade.
…
Midwives face additional concerns about the lack of professional recognition as well as limited opportunities to practise as primary carers and provide continuity of care to women.
The need for a concerted approach
Clearly this is no time for turf warfare between doctors and midwives, but it is time for all health care professionals involved in delivering obstetrics care to mount a combined attack on the Howard Government to force them into action to address this situation.
Unless and until the Government is shocked and shamed into realising that Australian women are now scrambling to find the birthing centre of their choice, and in some cases scrambling to find any professional who will deliver their child, the situation will not improve.
It seems to me that we need a variety of solutions to fit all the circumstances that arise. There is no 'one size fits all' way to solve the problems that present so differently in metropolitan Sydney, the isolated community of Wilcannia, the growing town of Byron Bay and the multicultural suburbs of Western Sydney. The one common factor is the pregnant woman and her child - they must be at the centre of the solution.
… I believe that midwives … are key heath care professionals whose role in the care of women and their babies has yet to be fully realised in the Australian health care system.
We need to realise that potential so that mothers have real choice in their birthing experience, and their babies have the best start in life.
This is one of the best investments we can make in the future of our nation.
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