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The number of registered independent midwives is increasing and, at 200, is currently the highest level there’s ever been. Most care principally for women planning home births, and are responsible for an estimated 4-5,000 births a year.

In October 2002, the Nursing and Medical Council proposed to make insurance a ‘requirement’ for registration. Because of the astronomical cost of insurance, independent midwives fought back and it became a ‘recommendation’, meaning every midwife practising outside of the NHS without insurance has an obligation to make the implications of the situation clear to every client she or he books.

However, at the end of last year a letter was sent out to independent midwives from the Chief Nursing Officer, Christine Beasley, informing them that professional indemnity insurance is to be made mandatory, effectively making independent practice unaffordable.

Jenni is joined by Annie Francis, an independent midwife and spokesperson for the Independent Midwives Association, and Christine Beasley.