The CareAuction intermediary offers a reverse auctioning platform to support the allocation of individual maternity care patient requests between purchasers of health insurance companies (acting on behalf of their policy holders) and care providers. Since its introduction in 2005, CareAuction has contributed to a small price drop of maternity care and induced competition on the supply-side of t...

This paper examines whether maternity leave policies have an effect on women's mental health in older age. We link data for women aged 50 years and above from countries in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to data on maternity leave legislation from 1960 onwards. We use a difference-in-differences approach that exploits changes over time within countries in the durat...

Figures we are told can prove anything. Cannot we deduce from those quoted by Professor Lennon in his stimulating contribution to the January Journal that Bristol has been relatively successful in reducing maternal deaths to the occasional unavoidable ones from haemorrhage or toxaemia? I think also that there will be very mixed views concerning the Professor's ideas on domiciliary midwifery. If...

" The proposals contained in the MIaternity Services (Scotland) Bill constitute the first real attempt on the part of the Government to grapple intelligently with the problem of puerperal morbidity and mortality. It is the first step of the SecretarY of State for Scotland to carry into practical effect some of the recommendations contained in the Scottish Report, and if the Bill becomes an Act,...