Sudbury midwife expresses disappointment with Ford cuts to College of Midwives

A Sudbury midwife says she's disappointed to hear the province is cutting funding to Ontario's College of Midwives.

Last week, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care announced it will no longer provide operational grants to the college. It had been doing so for the past 25 years.

Natalie Macleod, a registered midwife with Sudbury Community Midwives, says she's disappointed with the news, pointing out the role of the college is to protect the public.

"They ensure that midwives maintain their competencies so that we can continue to provide safe care to women in Ontario," she explained.

"That way when somebody in Ontario seeks the care of a midwife they can feel assured that they're getting good care."

Macleod says the cutswill likely put more of a burden on Ontario's midwives.

"It will affect us and it does place ... a burden I suppose on midwives in terms of how we work," she said.

"It does kind of place barriers in terms of how we can provide care to families in Ontario."

Macleod says the cuts are another example of how the government is undervaluing midwives and midwifery care.

She is encouraging people to write to their local MPP to express concern over how midwives are being treated in the province, and how the cuts could affect how families access midwifery care.