New insurance rules threatening the end of independent midwives

Released on 12/03/2007

Commenting on new insurance rules threatening the end of independent midwives (12th March 2007), Mary Newburn, Head of Policy Research at the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), said:

"It is a basic right for women to be in control of the birth of their children. We are worried that if independent midwives are unavailable, this basic right to choose is seriously diminished. It’s crucial that someone steps up to the challenge of helping the midwives get the insurance cover they need to carry on with their work."

Notes to editors

Independent midwives

• help keep choice on the agenda, including access to home birth and vaginal birth of breech babies;
• pioneer new, woman-centred, kinds of care including use of water for comfort during labour and birth in water and extended postnatal care to 6-8 weeks;
• provide ‘gold standard’ services including care from a known midwife throughout pregnant, birth and the postnatal period (the caseload midwifery model);
• influence change in the NHS by modelling ways of delivering care, through sharing ideas and writing for peer-reviewed journals.

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