NEWS RELEASE
THE
MATERNITY COALITION INC. AUSTRALIAN
COLLEGE OF MIDWIVES
NSW Government Expands
Maternity Service Choices for Women – ACT Government Still to Respond to
Assembly Maternity Recommendations 11 Months Later
Last week the NSW Minister
for Health, Morris Iemma announced that publicly funded homebirths will be
offered as an option for pregnant women in the St George area of Sydney. On the same day the Minister also celebrated
the first anniversary of the Ryde Midwifery Group Practice, which operates as a
stand-alone birth centre out of Ryde Hospital in Sydney.
Meanwhile, the women of
Canberra have been waiting almost a year for the Government’s response to the Pregnant Pause report of the Legislative
Assembly Standing Committee on Health.
The NSW Minister’s
announcement follows his announcement last month that a service following the
Ryde model would operate out of the Camden hospital in western Sydney. There are also proposals for such services
in Newcastle and the Illawarra.
Similar expansion of options
by the Victorian and Northern Territory Governments were also announced last
year.
“ACT women are being left
behind,” said Ingrid
McKenzie, President of
the ACT Branch of the Maternity Coalition.
“Like women in other States and Territories, ACT women have been calling
for improved access to one-to-one midwifery care for years. Their State and Territory governments have
listened to them and responded. We in Canberra
are still waiting.
“The Pregnant Pause report made a number of very important
recommendations concerning maternity services in the ACT including for the
expansion of the Canberra Midwifery Program operating out of the Birth Centre
at the Canberra Hospital as well as the establishment of services such as the
safe and cost effective services already up and running New South Wales and
those planned for Victoria and the Northern Territory.”
“This Ryde one-to-one
midwifery model featuring full obstetric back up at a nearby hospital, is best
practice, supported by international evidence, beneficial for women and babies,
cost effective and safe,” said Gill Hall, President of the ACT Branch of the
Australian College of Midwives.
“Currently only 5% of women
can access the Canberra Midwifery Program.
Each month the Canberra Midwifery Program turns away at least 30
women. Women who ring to book in who
are more than 5 weeks pregnant cannot get on to the program” said Ms Hall.
“Women are queuing to receive this care which is supported by
evidence to be safer and more cost-effective.
How long do Canberra women have to wait?” asked Ms McKenzie.
For more information contact
|
Ingrid
McKenziePresident |
Gill
HallPresident |