Save Independent Midwifery Campaign - September 2010

I had an Independent Midwife for Jacob's birth. Of course ideally we would all be able to choose one to one midwifery care (like they can in New Zealand) but until then to get the care all women deserve we have to pay for it (that's a whole other campaign) but int he meantime please support this one to make sure we keep Independent Midwifes in theUK - read below for lots more info and action points. Eva

Dear Friends

It is crunch time and we really need your help if independent midwives are going to be able to practise in the UK in future. If you feel you can write in support of the value of personalised, high quality midwifery care throughout pregnancy, birth and after the baby is born that an independent midwife is able to provide, then please could you let the government know

NOW.

For several years the government's new policy that all healthcare professionals have indemnity insurance has been put on hold. Last year the government commissioned the Finlay Scott Review to look at the feasibility of indemnity insurance as a condition of every healthcare professional's registration. The Review has now been published and recommends that Indemnity insurance should become mandatory and a requirement for registration. However it also recommended for those groups for whom the market does not provide affordable insurance or indemnity (independent midwives), the relevant Departments of Health in the four countries of the UK should decide if the continued availability of this service is necessary; and, if so, should seek to facilitate a solution to the problem. (See more information in the letter below)

The Departments of Health are due to respond imminently to this Review - and their responses will be a perfect vehicle through which to address this anomaly with solutions from policy-makers.

If you have time to help can you please send an email to your MP and copy it to your relevant Department of Health. Could you also print your letter and send it as a hard copy to your MP and Department of Health as although slower, receiving lots of letters is more effective. Please feel free to use any information on this page, and/or include your own feelings and experiences.

Find your MP by clicking on: http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/ and click on his/her website to find their email and constituency postal address. Don't use the House of Commons address for MP's at this time of year as it is in summer recess.

Departments of Health:

England:

Mike.Lewis@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Mike Lewis Senior Policy Manager

Professional Standards Division

Department of Health

2N10 Quarry House

Quarry Hill

Leeds.

LS2 7UE

Scotland:

Catherine.clark@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Catherine Clarke

Regulating Unit

Chief Nursing Office

St. Andrew's House

Regent Road

Edinburgh

EH1 3DG

 

scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Nicola Sturgeon

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

Wales:

correspondence.edwina.hart@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Edwina Hart

Minister for Health and Social Services

Welsh Assembly Government

Cathays Park

Cardiff

CF10 3NQ

Northern Ireland:

private.office@dhsspsni.gov.uk

Michael McGimpsey

Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Room C5.10

Castle Buildings

Stormont Estate

Belfast

BT4 3SQ

 

Please inform and pass on this email to as many other friends, family and supporters such as local NCT groups, Women's Institute, etc as possible. Without positive government intervention independent midwifery will become illegal in the very near future. If a solution is provided, it could benefit maternity services in the UK for decades to come.

Thank you for your support!

Sample letter

Dear MP

RE: Finlay Scott Review

I'm writing to ask for your help in giving thousands of families greater opportunity to have safe positive pregnancies and births with support into early parenting.

The Government recently heard from the Finlay Scott Review, which had been asked, to look at indemnity insurance as a condition of professional registration. The Review recommended that the Government should make indemnity / insurance a requirement of every healthcare professional's registration. However it also recommended for those groups for whom the market does not provide affordable insurance or indemnity (independent midwives), it should decide if the continued availability of those services is necessary; and, if so, should seek to facilitate a solution to the problem.

There are currently approximately 100 independent midwives in the UK, providing high quality, one-to-one care to families throughout pregnancy, birth and early parenthood. It is this kind of genuinely personalised care, from their own midwife, that growing numbers of women want. It has significant public health benefits in terms of increased normal birth and breastfeeding rates and saves money.

Taking on independent status is also something which offers great advantages to midwives themselves, empowering them as frontline workers, to work closely with women and with more flexibility in their working lives crucial if the drain of midwives from the profession is to be reversed.

The barrier to independent midwives providing this service is that they cannot be indemnified or insured. This is due to the number of independent midwives currently being too small to enable the risk to be pooled and spread in a way that produces an affordable premium. There is simply no insurance available for independent midwifery services. This is standing in the way of more pregnant women benefiting from this type of care and enabling more midwives to work this way.

In 2013, independent midwifery will be made illegal under EU law if a solution is not found. EU legislation by then will require all health professionals to have indemnity insurance.

The benefits of finding a mechanism to indemnify or insure independent midwives will be: independent midwives will be able to provide care within the NHS with improved public health outcomes, reduction in costs and increased choice for women

• women's choice will be maintained;
• the risk of some women choosing to give birth unaided if unable to access
• care that is acceptable to them within the NHS will be reduced
• midwifery expertise in normal birth skills will not be lost
• more midwives will stay in the profession.

The government is due to respond imminently to the Findlay Scott Review. The Review recognises that a potential problem arises from its recommendations but also acknowledges that the government could intervene to provide an affordable solution.

Please support my request to recognise the importance of this service for the safety and wellbeing of mothers, babies and families by calling for the indemnity/insurance issue to be resolved by the Department of Health.

Regards