Media Release
4
May 2005
International Day of the Midwife 2005
Midwives and women - A partnership for health
May
5 is the International Day of the Midwife. It is a day for the
community to celebrate the role midwives play in caring for birthing
woman and their babies.
There are 13,486 practising midwives in Australia - who make
up 8.4% of the nursing workforce.
One of these midwives is leading the implementation of an innovative
home birthing service in the Northern Territory. Based in Alice
Springs, Dr Heather Hancock was appointed in November 2004 as
Project Officer Home Birthing for the NT health department.
The NT Government announced a new Maternity Services Package
for the NT on 18 November 2004 to give support, choice and quality
services to women living in the NT. Part of the package was a
home birth model.
'It's important that choice remains available to low risk women
in Darwin and Alice Springs whenever a midwife is available and
this is what I am working toward,' Dr Hancock said.
Dr Hancock added that the NT Government was addressing the issue
of indemnity that affected professional regulation - through
the planned employment of independent practising midwives.
By being in an employer/employee relationship, independent practising
midwives will become indemnified and therefore able to provide
services once the protocols and procedures have been finalised.
Dr Hancock has many years experience as an educator, researcher
and a practising midwife. She is currently on leave from her
position of the last 10 years as Senior Lecturer in Midwifery
at the University of South Australia.
The NT initiative mirrors that of NSW St George Hospital's Home
Birth Project where a demonstration model is providing indemnity
cover for midwives. Other home birth arrangements have been in
place in SA and WA for several years.
The
International Confederation of Midwives ICM established the idea
of the 'International Day of the Midwife' following discussion
among member associations in the late 1980's. The initiative
was formally launched in 1992.
The ICM is a confederation of 83 national midwifery associations
from 70 countries, founded in 1919. Its mission is to advance
world-wide the aims and aspirations of midwives in the attainment
of improved outcomes for women, their newborn and families wherever
they reside.
Media inquiries:
Tim Pigot, Media Manager, NT Department of Health and Community
Services 0419 817 098
Ged Cowin, ANF Assistant Federal Secretary 0417 053 322
Heather Witham, ANF Federal Communications Officer 0417 359 907
The ANF, representing 145,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses in Australia.