Dear All
We would like to ask our friends and indeed, everyone, on the site to please spare us 2 minutes of your time
As some of you know, Eleanor has been an Independent Midwife for the past 2.5 years and that she love the way she works and what she does.
Sadly, her way of
working is now under threat. You may have heard on
Woman's Hour this week or from other sources that
Independent Midwifery is currently under threat as the
government has decided to make Professional Indemnity
Insurance mandatory for all Health Professionals by
2008-09.
Independent Midwives are unable to obtain this Insurance
globally, and the government is currently not
considering offering us such insurance but
rather to force us back into the NHS or make us
redundant!
THIS IS A REAL CRISIS WHICH COULD CAUSE THE DEATH OF
INDEPENDENT MIDWIFERY AND
AN END TO CHOICE FOR WOMEN
The Independent Midwives Association is rolling out a
national campaign to save
Independent Midwifery on the 12th March. We are
approaching newspapers, radio,
TV and the government, writing letters and press
releases, but Eleanor needs your help.
We have set up a
petition online which we are urging everyone to sign,
please contact friends, relatives and anyone else who
will support our campaign!
Please be assured that signing this petition will NOT compromise your identity, your mail and personal address is NOT recorded
I know all of your lives are busy but I would really
appreciate your help.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart
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Independent Midwives - Pettition the Government - Stevenel
How do I go about signing your petition guys.....
I had all three of my kids in hospital and the midwifes were amazing, but they did not have the time they wanted to spend with me or the other mums at all.
Its just not good enough, women should have the choice to have their babies how they want.
Oohhh u got me ranting now !!! Oops
Let me sign now.
Sue xxxxxxxxxxxx
Casanova
send addy to me please steve xx
send addy please
meantime, I have emailed the Daily Record newspaper for you guys.
In scotland, there is public furure over the NHS decision of its maternity provison. You may have heard of the Yorkhill Sick Children's Hospital which is sited right next door to the Queen Mother Maternity. The two hospitals have a vital link corridor that truly is an umbilical link and many kids/adults owe their lives to the very existance of that link. NHS wants to relocate Queen Mothers to Southern General which is away on the otherside of the river. Clinical opinion is against the move but the accounting mandarins are set to have their way.
Anyways, the text of my email to the Daily Record is as follows:
You may or may not be aware of the Independent Midwives Association - an umbrella organisation (trade union if you like) that serves to represent the interest of those midwives who chose to practice outwith the NHS thus being able to provide the 1-2-1 services that most women prefer. Don't get me wrong - our NHS midwives do a sterling job but they can be so overworked that 1-2-1 care and attention is not always possible.
According to their website [independentmidwives (dot) org (dot) uk /?node=8765] the very existence of independent midwives is under threat owing to the fact that the government is insisting that each midwife must have professional negligence insurance. Whilst we can understand the need for such insurance in today's litigious society, it appears that no insurer is willing to underwrite the risk!! Thus, independent midwives will not be able to practice, expectant mums will have no choice on whether to go private (it will be NHS or nothing) with result that our already overstretched NHS (both in terms of staff and beds) will be under even more pressure!
When one thinks of the public furore over the fact that our government through that quango that is the NHS in Scotland does not listen to clinical opinion over that vital umbilical link between Yorkhill and the Queen Mums, its seems evidently more clear that this government has lost touch with all reality.
Please, please, can you take up the cause of our independent midwives. Through no fault of their own, they and their patients are being railroaded by the bullyboys!
Many thanks indeed
A Seriously Concerned Daily Record reader
North Glasgow
Post edited 10-03-2007 4:56 [B]bold text here[/B] [B]bold text here[/B]
Post edited 10-03-2007 4:58
Guys, MANY MANY thanks from Eleanor and I for your support in this
Casman, to have gone to such lengths is truly touching and I will be sure to show your post to Eleanor later today as we are currently running around with an 11 year olds birthday party!!
Seriously, we are really touched for all the support
We cannot post URLs in the forum - but if you do a google search for Independent Midwifes Petition - It comes out at the top of the list
Thank you all
Eleanor and Steve
xxx
Your more than welcome Steve and Eleaner.
BTW, I meant to say that my email was copied to the ABI - Association of British Insurers. I cannot guarantee that they will do anything insurance wise (each insurer has autonomy) but they might just flag up to the Westminster that the insurance industry is not insuring the risk any more - that might give the government an extra impetus to provide state-funded insurance.
Equally, they might just email me back with details of any specialist "niche market" insurers who are in the market.
I do sincerely pray everything turns out OK for Eleanor in her chosen profession. I am sure for her it is not so much fear of going back to the NHS but more that the 24/7 1-2-1 touch which mums-to-be need and want might well be lacking - unless there is a seriously serious investment in frontline NHS patient care.
Anyways, I better go now. We are having a dinner party and Jeanette is shouting that we forgot the vegetables. Ho hum - another trip to Tesco!! Hope your party goes OK - Tell Eleanor to enjoy a long glass of whatever tonite - she'll deserve it!
Craig
