Midwives set to receive more authority

The Rudd government's maternity services review has broad support from doctors and midwives but home birthing groups say it fails to put women first.

The review, released on Saturday, recommends midwives be able to provide
taxpayer-subsidised drugs and care through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
and Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS).
But commonwealth funding for home births has been rejected.
Australian College of Midwives president Pat Brodie applauded the review's
recommendation to expand access to midwives.
"The proposed extension of MBS and PBS access for midwives is essential to support
the full contribution that midwives can make to maternity care in urban, rural and
remote area.
"In all western countries women have greater access to midwifery care than they do
currently in Australia."
Professor Brodie urged the government to act quickly on the recommendation the
Commonwealth provide professional indemnity insurance for midwives.
Australian Medical Association (AMA) president Rosanna Capolingua said the review
made it clear appropriately qualified midwives should have access to the MBS and PBS
while working in teams with obstetricians.
Rural Doctors' Association of Australia CEO Steve Sant hoped the review would be
followed by a renewed commitment to maternity units.
At least half of rural maternity units had been closed by state governments over the
past decade.
"What is needed now is a strong commitment from the federal and state governments to
reopen and support maternity units in rural Australia," he said.
Home Birth Australia secretary Justine Caines said she was devastated by the
review's decision not to recommend Commonwealth funding for home births.
"It is not putting women first," she told AAP.
"The maternity system is currently so medicalised without appropriate evidence to
back it up. Most of the interventions are based on clinician preference, they're not
based on research evidence."
The review, which received more than 900 submissions, recommended an expansion of
maternity services programs for indigenous women.
It also recommended a single pregnancy-related telephone support line be set up to
provide clinical and non-clinical support services.
The review's report will inform the development of a national maternity services
plan, which was a Rudd government election promise.