Midwifery in Canada - Nova Scotia

Report submitted September 2007

It has been quite a year for us in Nova Scotia. Shortly after the CAM conference in Ottawa last year the Midwifery Act (Bill 107) was passed in the House of Assembly. The official date of the Bill reaching Royal Assent was November 23rd, 2007. Although thrilled with this speedy progress we knew the hard work had just begun.

In February 2007 the Department of Health struck a committee, the Midwifery Regulation Committee (MRC) dedicated to the task of drafting the Regulations and Bylaws that would govern the practice of midwifery in Nova Scotia. The MRC membership includes representatives from the Department of Health, policy specialists from the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia and Doctors Nova Scotia, the CEO of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia and two local midwives.

Over the past several months we have been drafting regulations, bylaws and policies to ensure the Midwifery Regulatory Council (College) will have a template of working documents and can register midwives as soon as the Act is proclaimed. Our process for drafting these comprehensive documents has involved scrutinizing regulations and bylaws from Canadian and international regulatory colleges in midwifery, nursing, nurse-midwifery and several other allied health professions. We felt it was important to build on the good work of our colleagues to frame the practice of midwifery for Nova Scotia.

The energy in Nova Scotia seems to have had some affect on our neighbours in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island with announcements from those provinces on the heels of our Act passing. The region is also looking at some involvement with the National Assessment Strategy and Bridging Program which would make registration more attainable to midwives in our region.

While the MRC is reaching the final stages of drafting, we have recently received news that the Primary Health Care division of the Department of Health is striking a Midwifery Implementation Committee (MIC) to commence the laborious task of integrating midwives into mainstream Nova Scotia healthcare. With our limited numbers we know that the initial start will be small and the growth slight but we feel that Nova Scotians are ready for our arrival.

The Department of Health has been questioned on several occasions by the press, opposition members, midwives and consumers as to the future of midwifery as a funded service. Although they have yet to make a formal announcement, we are confident with so many sectors of the Department working on ‘the midwifery file’, it appears that the intention is to ingrate midwifery as a fully funded service.

Our Assocation members work persistently with so much work to be completed and so few members. However, we can’t help but believe that: if we build it, they will come!

Contact Information
P.O. Box 2722
Halifax CRO
Nova Scotia
B3J 3P7
Email: kayuka@eastlink.ca