Health Minister outlines commitment to rural and remote mums

Published Thursday, 14 March, 2013 at 03:30 PM

Minister for Health
The Honourable Lawrence Springborg

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg today outlined a commitment to improve maternity services for rural and remote mothers.

Speaking at the Rural Birth Summit in Rockhampton, Mr Springborg said it was important mothers throughout Queensland had more control over their maternity care.

“Options for rural and remote mothers to give birth safely and nearer home can make a real difference to a family having a baby,” Mr Springborg said.

“Today’s summit highlights the need to improve access to maternity services for rural and remote mothers.

“We’ve seen a great example of this in Toowoomba through a program which has given women greater choices during pregnancy and childbirth.”

Mr Springborg said the maternity collaborative agreement began in Toowoomba in 2010 and 250 babies had been born at the Toowoomba Hospital under the program.

“The program has been so successful that the agreement has since been implemented at the Gold Coast, Bundaberg and Ipswich hospitals,” he said.

“The hospital’s maternity unit, local obstetricians and private midwives within the community forge an agreement which allows private midwives to admit low-risk mothers to the hospital’s maternity unit.

“The private midwives can provide prenatal, childbirth and post natal care and admit mothers to the maternity unit as private patients.

“However, if the mother requires care which is outside the scope of a midwife, the midwife will consult with or refer to one of hospital’s obstetricians.

“Traditionally if a woman elected to have the care of a midwife during pregnancy they were still referred to an obstetrician if things became more complex and would have to forego the midwifery care.

“Using this program the mother can have the best of both worlds.

“Toowoomba began the process after the Commonwealth Government gave midwives Medicare access to bulk bill women.

“We’ve already seen the successful uptake of this program by other hospitals in the state and I look forward to seeing more hospitals operating with this system.”

At the summit today, Mr Springborg said continuity of maternity care models provided care for rural and remote mothers that was more appropriate to their individual needs.

“Successful models such as those in Mareeba, Goondiwindi, Emerald, Stradbroke Island and Proserpine increase care options for mothers in country areas as an integral step in the delivery of safe and viable services.

 “The needs and experiences of country mums can be very different to those of city mums.

“In Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and rural and remote communities, there are still challenges to meet and improvements to be made.

“We will be actively participating in talking about processes and appropriate sites to test a new model of care defined as Birth on Country.

“I am a strong advocate for an increase in access and choice for rural and remote women.”

The Central and Northern Rural Birth Summit was held was held in Rockhampton today.

[ENDS] 14 March 2013

Media contact: Clare Mildren 0417 255 284