1) Will not prevent private midwives being able to practice (they can still access insurance)
2) Will not prevent women being able to make choices –If you are having a homebirth and choose not to access Medicare you do not need a signed agreement with a doctor.
3) Only affects midwives seeking to access Medicare and midwives can choose not to do this.
4) Is not included in the NMBA Quality and Safety Exemption Framework supporting private midwives providing homebirth services
5) Does not re-define the ICM definition of a midwife – it does not define the role or scope of practice of midwives in Australia. It only defines how midwives can access Medicare if they choose to do so. Midwives can still work in public and/or private practice and access insurance and register as a midwife (under our current regulatory requirements that have an accepted definition and scope of practice of the midwife in Australia).
6) Does not mean that midwives must have a signed agreement with a doctor – this is only IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCESS MEDICARE - Midwives can have
a. an individual signed agreement with a doctor
b. a referral of a woman to you
c. clinical privileging
d. an agreement signed by the medical director of a hospital.
7) Does not mean you need acknowledgment in writing - we have been told by the Minister’s advisors that a midwife writing in her own clinical notes that results etc have been sent to the hospital/doctor where they have a collaborative arrangement meets this requirement.
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