NEWS RELEASE - Tuesday June 22 2004

Consumers Applaud Victorian Government Move to Safe and Sustainable Maternity Care

Maternity Coalition, Australia's national maternity consumer organisation applauds Victorian Health Minister, Bronwyn Pike on the launch of Future Directions for Victoria's maternity services today.

"Currently the maternity system is designed to meet the needs of practitioners and large institutions and is failing women. Minister Pike has made a strong step towards very necessary reform. This reform we hope will provide Victorian women with the choice of safe, sustainable care that is focussed on them - something that is currently not there," said Leslie Arnott, Maternity Coalition's Victorian President.

Maternity Coalition is committed to the advancement of one-to-one midwifery care, something that less than 1% of Australian women can choose. However when they are given the chance women with healthy pregnancies (85%) overwhelmingly choose midwifery-led primary care. In Ryde in metropolitan Sydney a new midwifery model enables healthy women to be cared for by a midwife from early pregnancy until 6 weeks postnatally; care that is recognised by the World Health Organisation as best practice.

Associate Professor Sally Tracy says women are flocking to NSW's newest answer to best practice maternity care, a Midwifery Group Practice at Ryde Hospital, which offers one-to-one midwifery care with ready access to medical back-up if needed. "The interest since the service began on March 1 has been fabulous, again confirming that many women will choose one-to-one midwifery care when able"

Associate Professor, Obstetrician and Epidemiologist James King supports the consumer demand for more appropriate care. He says, "By utilising midwifery-led care in concert with other providers as required, we would be making more appropriate use of our scarce health professionals; could reduce unnecessary interventions and promote safe care for all women."

"Although the Victorian and NSW Governments are responding to a broken maternity care system, the Federal Government continues to promote the interests of doctors above women. To make effective change the federal government must show leadership and fund midwives to provide primary maternity care," said Ms Arnott.

Maternity Coalition joins Bronwyn Pike in urging the Federal government to fund midwives under Medicare. Since 1985, 31 parliamentary enquiries have recommended an enhancement of midwifery-led care, and yet little has been done. "Midwives are experts in normal pregnancies and are the health professional that will be able to provide safe and sustainable care to the majority of pregnant women. With so many rural and regional communities without safe maternity services the Federal Government/opposition needs to respond urgently," said Ms Arnott.

Media Contact: Leslie Arnott: 0412 707 001

Further Contacts:
Sally Tracy : 0404 811 357
Associate Professor, Midwifery

James King: 0419 720 281
Associate Professor, Obstetrics, Epidemiology

P.O. Box 1190
Blackburn North,
Victoria 3130
Australia