I think the issues should be divided into two groups. One is issues about her practice and status as a midwife. These seem unclear and personally I don't feel they are clear enough to take action. The second is about the barbaric way her case is reported as being conducted. If this is accurate, I think this is the issue on which we should take action. Can someone confirm the details of the second?



Alison Macfarlane



-----Original Message-----

From: Carolyn Roth [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 

Sent: 27 October 2010 08:38

To: [log in to unmask]

Subject: Re: MIDWIFERY-RESEARCH Digest - 24 Oct 2010 to 25 Oct 2010 (#2010-177)



Dear Marianne, You are right when you say there are many layers to the 

situation of Agnes Gereb.



You say:



"Agnes Gereb's name has been removed from the medical register - most 

probably because other colleagues have had the power to remove the name 

of someone who was clearly not in agreement with the general position in 

Hungary.  This is highly regrettable and the cause of reinstating her to 

the medical register is one I would strongly support."



However, you call to withhold support from her when she is facing 

additional draconian penalties and treatment apparently arising from 

being prohibited by certain authorities to maintain her 

registration. There is a contradiction in what you say and it is more 

than 'regrettable', it is surely something that all those concerned with 

the care of childbearing women should be concerned about.    I also 

wonder whether the midwives' association tried to defend her right to be 

registered?



When someone becomes the target of this kind of procedure, it is really 

not possible to split off different bits of the issue to support or not 

support.  If the action against Agnes Gereb is successful my guess is 

that it will increase the capacity of the state to prohibit women's 

choice, because the penalties for protecting women's choice will have be 

strengthened by a successful prosecution of Agnes Gereb.  It worries me 

that the midwives' association perceive her as a factor in the state's 

decision regarding home birth. It seems to me that the state may well 

use her as an excuse for intransigence, but not supporting her at this 

time in effect allows them to do that.



Clearly, it is also important to maintain regulation of practice, but it 

seems to me that in this case regulation has been applied not in the 

interests of the public, but rather to prohibitapproaches to women's 

care that powerful professions do not approve of.



Carolyn Roth

Lead Midwife for Education

Keele University, School of Nursing&  Midwifery

Clinical Education Centre

Newcastle Road

Stoke on Trent

ST4 6QG, UK



Tel. 01782 556698







On 26/10/2010 19:06, Marianne Mead wrote:

> Agnes Gereb's name has been removed from the medical register - most 

> probably because other colleagues have had the power to remove the 

> name of someone who was clearly not in agreement with the general 

> position in Hungary.  This is highly regrettable and the cause of 

> reinstating her to the medical register is one I would strongly support.