HOMEBIRTH AUSTRALIA CONSENSUS STATEMENT

Consensus Statement
Central to the safety and quality of homebirth is women and midwives working together in partnership. Without indemnity insurance support, private midwives will be unable to register to provide homebirth care from July 2010. This is unacceptable.

We support:
The legally enshrined concepts of informed consent and right of refusal, to enable every Australian woman to choose, how, where and with whom she gives birth
A safe and sustainable maternity health system that supports maternity health professionals equally, enabling funding for midwifery in the public and private setting

We request:
Immediate intervention from Health Minister, Nicola Roxon to secure professional indemnity insurance for privately practising midwives providing homebirth services. Inclusion of private practice homebirth services within the Medicare Benefits Schedule.



ENDORSEMENT OF THIS CONSENSUS STATEMENT APPROVED BY THE FOLLOWING NAMED MIDWIVES:


Andrea Bilcliff
Alice Barden
Andrea Quanchi
Brenda Manning
Clare Lane
Fiona Hallinan
Helen Barrington
Helen Sandner
Jennie Teskey
Joy Johnston
Karen Heyward
Kate Larvin
Kate Wylie
Kim Cooper
Lisa Chapman
Malinda Morieson
Nicola Dutton
Seneka Cohen
Simone Sayers
Wendy Buckland
Sonya Beutel [Qld]
Robyn Thompson
Sally Westbury
Kylie Shaw Wallace
Sally McCrae

[Other names of midwives will be added as their messages of support are received. JJ]