ACT Branch PO Box 269 LYNEHAM ACT 2602
WHY DOESN'T THE HUMPHRIES GOV WANT
TO SAVE $2.7M ON HEALTH EACH YEAR?
Thursday October 18 2001
Health Funding has and always will be an issue until Governments are brave enough to address over servicing and wastage of resources in maternity services.
Childbirth is the single most important reason for hospitalisation in this country.
The ACT Branch of Maternity Coalition met with Chief Minister, Gary Humphries and Health Minister, Michael Moore and outlined the over servicing and misallocation of scarce resources in maternity care in the ACT. "The Humphries Government does not seem interested in reducing costs despite evidence that cheaper midwifery-led care delivers substantial benefits to both mothers and babies," said Justine Caines spokesperson for the Maternity Coalition.
"We have a 20% caesarean rate in the ACT and an average length of stay in hospital of 4 days. This care is very costly and does not seem to benefit the majority of women who experience normal healthy pregnancies and births" said Ms Caines. "In addition our post-natal support services are oversubscribed and women are referred from one service to another with no continuity."
Care during pregnancy, birth and postnatally by one known midwife has been proven world wide to be the most appropriate and cost effective care for women. The government is doing nothing to promote widespread access by ACT women to this care.
"Only 7% of Canberra women can currently access midwife-led care, and that leaves 3,200 women each year without access to midwife-led care" said Ms Caines
"In New Zealand where the state supports women to choose who care for them, 70% choose a midwife," said Ms Caines.
The ACT Maternity Coalition provided the Humphries Government with an estimate of savings if they adopted midwife care. We estimate savings of $785.00 per woman or a staggering $2,747,500 dollars each year. (Figures available)
If the Humphries Government was really concerned about health funding it would have followed the New Zealand example The resultant savings could be channelled into respite care and urgent resources in nursing.
"There would not be a nurses strike if funding was issued according to need," said Ms Caines.
We call on Labor leader, Jon Stanhope, to address this over-servicing and comment on what Labor intends to do promote best practice in maternity care in the ACT.
For more information please contact Justine Caines on 6238 1041 or 0408 210273