Parents will be able to pay private midwives to deliver their babies at Northern Hospital as part of a trial program beginning next year.
The state government announced last week that Northern Hospital would be one of two hospitals to take part in a pilot program that will allow private midwives to act as primary carers for women giving birth.
The trial, the result of a Labor Party pre-election commitment, will begin mid-next year at the Epping hospital with between four and six private midwives.
Monash Health is also taking part in the trial, which is expected to guide the roll-out of the initiative to hospitals across the state.
Northern Health chief executive officer Siva Sivarajah said this model would allow women and their families to have private midwives look after them before and after the births of their babies.
“Continuity of maternity care has been shown to improve outcomes and patient satisfaction,” he said.
“Under this collaborative model, women can give birth in hospital receiving care from their known midwife.
“If medical support is required, the midwife will transfer care to the medical team but remain involved.”
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation is supportive of the trial.
Federation Victorian branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said “greater collaboration between midwives, health facilities and obstetricians is much needed”.
Australian College of Midwives vice-president Michelle Newton, said women were currently choosing to birth at home so as to have their private midwives with them.
“This has been very much consumer driven,” Dr Newton said. “Women have been very vocal about wanting this level of care.”
Currently women who use private midwives aren’t able to have them provide midwifery care during births in public hospitals.
Health Minister Jill Hennessy is encouraging women to participate in the trial.
There is no limit to the number of women allowed to take part in the program.
“As promised, we’re giving Victorian women more choice about their maternity care,” she said. “Many women want to have a familiar voice and trusted caregiver with them during labour.
“Pregnancy and birthing can be scary … this initiative means women will be able to have the same midwife from the start of their pregnancy through to birth and the weeks beyond.”
She said the private midwives taking part in the trial would be regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Planning for the programs is under way.
