More on the exemption

We have recently had clarification (from a reliable source) about the 2-year exemption for midwives from the requirement for indemnity insurance. According to a senior official in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, the legal interpretation of the exemption has now been completely imbedded into legislation. What this means is that all registered midwives will have to have indemnity insurance to cover antenatal and postnatal care of all women, including those wanting to birth at home. The exemption from the requirement for indemnity insurance covers birth in the home only. Midwives will only be exempt for the actual birth for women birthing at home.



Midwives and mothers who want homebirth need to consider what that actually means. If the government is redefining childbirth and midwifery, two can play at that game. Pregnancy and birth are not an illness. Under this new system I can envisage a midwife in private practice charging a fee for attending the actual birth at home, and having social contact (the ‘cup of tea’) with women instead of what’s now called prenatal and postnatal ‘care’, but achieving the same end. I say this sadly – it’s madness isn’t it!

The Medicare model simply does not fit what we as midwives know as ordinary midwifery care. As Andrew Laming said “Bad policy in two years is still bad policy.” The slogan ‘medicare for midwives’ sounded catchy, but as they say, the devil is in the detail, and we have been had.

It looks to me as though there will be plenty of essential political activity for generations of midwives and women into the future in this country.

In summary, from 1 July 2010:

All midwives will be required to have indemnity insurance for professional practice, except (for 2 years) when they are attending a woman for homebirth.

We don’t know yet what midwives will have to do to get the indemnity product that we expect will be available under government tender. We don't know the costs or conditions that will be attached to that product.