Australian doctors have attacked the federal government plans to give midwives the same responsibilities as doctors in natal care.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon has released a discussion paper on maternity services in Australia that calls for midwives to be given the same prescribing rights and access to Medicare rebates as doctors in antenatal and postnatal care. Consequent on the changes midwives will get a greater role in hospitals.
Australia’s 12,000 midwives now have limited ability to access Medicare and can only do so when their treatment is overseen by doctors.
The discussion paper was part of a comprehensive review of maternity services led by the Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer, Rosemary Bryant.
The review covered issues including support for a greater role for midwives; opportunities for women to have more birth-care options, including home births; the shortage of maternity staff and services, particularly in rural and remote areas; and rising levels of post-natal depression.
The paper says that as there is no Medicare benefit payable to midwives for management of labour and delivery, there is only limited support for midwifery services through private health insurance.
In most cases, mothers choosing to have their babies outside hospital pay the full cost of midwife services, which is typically more than $1000.
A key issue was expanding the scope within both the public and private sectors for women “to achieve greater choice and increased continuity of care.
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