Why is it so hard for Doctors to accept working in partnership with Midwives

January 10 The Australian published a story "Doctors firm against role of midwives".
We are all eagerly waiting for the release of the federal health minister Nicola Roxon's report on Maternity Services in Australia. During the process of review the obstetricians have stepped up their campaign against the MIDWIFE.
Lets look at the facts: Midwives want to look after low risk women - Midwives want to offer midwifery-led-care, which is a midwife-focused, woman-focused model of care for low-risk-women.
Women with medical problems, or in a higher risk category will see an obstetrician or the midwife will refer the women if it is required.
Is this so hard to understand?

Why are obstetricians so determined not to work collaboratively with midwives?

Dahlen (Australian College of Midwives) says obstetricians are incorrectly claiming or implying that midwives are seeking to be in sole charge of births.

‘‘We are not asking for midwives to be out there on their own — we don’t want that,’’ Dahlen said.

‘‘What we want, what we have always wanted, is collaborative models of care, where women can have a midwife who cares for her through her pregnancy and postnatal period.

‘‘It’s not about being ‘independent’ — this is about doing what midwives are best at, caring for women, particularly low-risk women, and having support from obstetric colleagues when that’s needed.

‘‘Part of the reason we have such a high intervention rate is because normal, low-risk women are being cared for by highly specialised surgeons trained in surgery.

‘‘We are not saying midwives are not going to work with obstetricians — we are asking for more choice, not less.’’ Dahlen says women are ‘‘marching with their feet’’ to seek better access to midwifery services, based on the number of women prepared to attend rallies and on the number of submissions from individual women to the federal Government’s review.

In December the Government revealed over 900 submissions to the review had been received, most of them from individual consumers.

It is about time someone started listening to what women want.....our maternity services are failing women and this is evident by the number of women who freebirth.
Also the submissions from women indicate that our maternity system has become to focused on medical intervention.

It will be very interesting to see the outcome of Nicola Roxon's report.....we are waiting with baited breath.