April 2008 - The Independent Midwives Association
is organising a postcard campaign for supporters to contact
their local Primary Care Trust. We are asking PCTs to ensure women have
access to community caseload midwifery and homebirth, and to commission
local independent midwives. Look
up the address of your PCT here. If you want a supply of their specially
printed postcards send them an email at contact@saveindependentmidwifery.org,
or you may like to write a letter to your PCT Chairman.
April 2008 - 
For details of National Screenings click Here
July 2007 - Ann Keen is the
new Minister Responsible for Maternity Services - please write to her asking
for the NHSCMM to be implemented across the country - you can adapt our sample
letter. See the Support
the Campaign page for more people you can contact about the
implementation of the model.
26/03/07 - Article in The
Independent - Mums-to-be and the Midwife Crisis by Rowan Pelling. Click Here
to read the article.
12/03/07 - 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. Click Here
for more information and Here
to sign the petition on the Downing Street Website.
The introduction of the NHS Community
Midwifery Model
is the obvious solution to this problem, as all midwives who wished to would
be able to work in this way whilst being covered by NHS insurance. Please
write to Christine Beasley, The Chief Nursing Officer, proposing the
introduction of the NHSCMM as the solution to this situation, her contact
details are on the Support the
Campaign page.
Women's
Hour, BBC Radio 4 - 6 Mar 2007 - Jenni Murray discusses the issue with Annie
Francis and Christine Beasley
Click here to see how the
NHSCMM fits in with the Government's National Service Framework for Children, Young
People and Maternity, (DOH, September 2004)
