Friday, January 1, 2010

How will midwives access the 'exemption' ?

An announcement was made in September 2009 that midwives will be granted an exemption from the requirement to have professional indemnity insurance when we attend homebirth. For more detail and links, click here.

Three special requirements were listed:

- A requirement to provide full disclosure and informed consent that they do not have professional indemnity insurance.

- Reporting each homebirth

- Participating in a quality and safety framework which will be developed after consultation led by Victoria through the finalisation of the registration and accreditation process.

(These provisions will only apply to midwives working in jurisdictions which do not prohibit such practice as at the date of the implementation of the scheme. Northern Territory does not permit any midwife to practise privately.)



In preparation for the implementation of the government's reforms, a draft Quality and Safety Framework for private midwifery care in Australia has been released by the Victorian health department for comment.

Victoria has responsibility for developing the draft framework and for managing the national consultation with key stakeholders. Consultations are planned to take place in late January and throughout February.

Written feedback will be taken up until 1 March 2010.

The consultation will be led by Professor Jeremy Oats, Director Victorian Maternity Newborn Clinical Network and Julie Jenkin, Manager, Maternity Services Program, Department of Health, Victoria.

Midwives in Private Practice (MIPP) has requested an opportunity to present our response verbally (as well as in writing) to the consultation.

No comments: