Save Independent Midwifery

Background - 12th March 2007

Independent Midwifery Under Threat:  The NHS Community Midwifery Model would allow all women to receive the model of care currently only available to those who choose to employ independent midwives.   However, the government is proposing to make it compulsory for all health professionals, including independent midwives, to have professional indemnity insurance (against negligence claims).  At present there is no such insurance available for independent midwives in the UK, and the government has refused to provide any.  They are effectively proposing to make it illegal for midwives to work on a self-employed basis.  This is an outrageous restriction on choice for women and midwives - having insurance would not improve outcomes for mothers or babies.

 

It is really important that mothers-to-be have the right to choose to employ an independent midwife if they choose to.  Not all can have the support and service they need from the NHS, unfortunately.

 

Website/more details - Independent Midwifery Association

 

You can express your support for this sort of care by completing the on line form on the website above.

 

English/Welsh petition - CLOSED, details still available

Scottish petiton - CLOSED, details still available

- Background

- Progress page

Irish petition - Sign here

 

 Media Coverage

BBC webpage 10th March 2007

 

UPDATE 21st January 2009

 

We are going to be updating the Independent Midwives very shortly. The situation is that Independent Midwives UK (was IMA) held its inaugural meeting yesterday and elected its first board. We are still in negotiation with the DoH and are awaiting the outcome of our recent bid for funding through the Social Enterprise Unit. The wheels of change
move slowly, so we anticipate that it will be at least 18 months before professional indemnity insurance becomes mandatory - legislation will have to be approved and made law before certain things can happen.

In the meantime, Independent Midwives UK is concentrating on getting our organisation up and running along with improving our website and press dept. We have several PCT's who are very interested in using our services and therefore will need to start the long and complicated task of writing a 'contract' that ensures that IM's can continue to practice as they currently do now. We are still collecting names and addresses via our website independentmidwives.org.uk to present to PCT's to show that women want the kind of care we provide.