The ACT Government has launched Australia's first public, ongoing Maternity Experience Survey Dashboard, providing continuous feedback from women and birthing people to help drive improvements in maternity services.
The dashboard provides data on the reported experiences of families who have accessed ACT public maternity services, reflecting the Government's commitment to listening, transparency and improvement.
Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said the dashboard is an important step in improving maternity services in the ACT.
"Every woman and birthing person deserves safe, respectful and high-quality care, and the survey responses and dashboard will help shape and deliver these outcomes," Minister Stephen-Smith said.
"The preliminary survey results show that most respondents to date had an overall positive experience, with continuity of midwifery care consistently praised. While this is encouraging, there are clear opportunities to improve, such as consistent breastfeeding advice, and postnatal support and education.
"We also know that we need to hear from a wider range of respondents in the community to truly capture the diverse nature of the ACT population and their experiences.
"These insights will help shape future initiatives and drive reform to improve maternity services in the ACT and deliver better outcomes for families."
The ACT is the first jurisdiction in Australia to implement an ongoing, publicly reported maternity experience survey and dashboard, fulfilling an expectation from the national Woman‑Centred Care: Strategic Directions for Australian Maternity Services (2019) that called for respectful, holistic care supported by patient‑reported experience measures.
"By making this information public, we're ensuring transparency and accountability, and showing that we are listening and acting on what matters most," said Minister Stephen-Smith.
"Thank you to everyone who has contributed their experiences so far. Your voices will help to guide improvements and inform the future direction of the ACT's public maternity system."
Information on the dashboard has been gathered since September 2024 through the ACT Maternity Experience Survey. So far, more than 500 responses have been received, and the survey will remain open to ensure continuous input.
Quotes attribute to ACT Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Adjunct Associate Professor Marina Buchanan-Grey:
"Continuous feedback is vital to improving maternity care in the ACT over time.
"By hearing what matters most, we can use this information to shape services that truly put women and birthing people first. We encourage all eligible parents who have recently accessed maternity services to complete the survey.
"Every voice matters, and your experience will help us build safer, more respectful care for families across the ACT."
To view the dashboard and find out more, visit: https://www.act.gov.au/open/maternity-in-focus/maternity-experience-survey
