The Minns Labor Government is creating a new role of Chief Midwife in NSW Health to support the experiences of pregnant women and their families, and strengthen leadership to midwives across the NSW public health system.
Established in response to the NSW Birth Trauma Inquiry, the Chief Midwife will develop policy and strategies related to midwifery professional practice and the role of midwives in maternity services.
They will also focus on workforce planning, training and retention to support the growth and development of midwifery-led care across public health maternity services.
The Chief Midwife will provide their expert advice to the Minister for Health Ryan Park and the NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce AM.
They will work with key professional bodies including the Australian College of Midwives, and universities offering midwifery training programs.
The establishment of the Chief Midwife role is the latest step by the Minns Labor Government to improve maternity care across the state.
This announcement follows the recent NSW Budget to support healthier families and communities with more than $83 million to boost maternity care which includes:
- $44.8 million to increase access to midwifery continuity of care models, including funding for an additional 53 full-time equivalent midwives in regional NSW.
- Enhanced training for clinicians in respectful maternity care.
- Enhanced antenatal education and consumer information for patients.
- $26.8 million to maintain seven family care centres, five mobile services and the Macksville residential unit, all in regional and rural NSW.
- $5.7 million to support free vaccination to pregnant women to protect them and their babies from whooping cough, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infection.
- $250,000 for virtual paediatrician support to general practitioners across NSW.
This builds on the five accelerated initiatives that are in progress in response to the Birth Trauma Inquiry. These five initiatives include:
- increasing access to maternity continuity of care models;
- embedding trauma-informed maternity care;
- improving the way information is provided to women;
- improving consent processes in maternity care; and
- supporting women who experience pregnancy complications.
Recruitment to the role is expected to commence shortly.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park
"Nearly 90,000 women give birth in NSW each year and I am committed to ensuring that all women in the state receive respectful, evidence-based, and equitable maternity care.
"I want to thank the courage and strength of the thousands of women who shared their deeply personal and difficult experiences throughout the Birth Trauma Inquiry.
"We will continue to listen and learn, and the Chief Midwife will provide important advice so that we can deliver the best possible midwifery care for women, babies and families in NSW.
"The establishment of the new role of Chief Midwife strengthens our commitment to improving experiences for all women and ensuring they have the choice and care they deserve."
Quotes attributable to NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce AM
"Midwives are essential to the NSW public healthcare system, playing a vital role across the state's hospitals and health facilities.
"I'm thrilled that the new position of Chief Midwife will provide expert advice and leadership to the profession now and into the future.
"The experiences of women heard throughout the Birth Trauma Inquiry highlighted the critical importance of respectful, compassionate, trauma-informed and culturally safe maternity care."
