Welcome to the Maternity Care in Victoria Web site

The Maternity Services Program in Victoria aims to enhance public maternity care by working towards high quality birthing services as outlined in the Victorian Government’s Future Directions for Victoria's Maternity Services - May 2004 (pdf, 1.23 MB)

Many initiatives are currently underway to ensure health services are well placed to meet the needs of the women of Victoria and offer those women, choices and access to care that is based on evidence and best practice. These initiatives are outlined in more detail in Current Programs Initiatives and include:

• Having a Baby in Victoria Website
• Maternity Performance Indicators
• Victorian Maternity Record
• Rural Maternity Initiative
• Industrial Framework for Continuity models of midwifery care
• The Pregnancy Care and Maternity Emergency Education Program
• Fetal Surveillance Education Program
• Koori Maternity Services Program
• Perinatal Emergency Referral Service (PERS)
• Three Centre Consensus Guidelines on Antenatal Care

Specific funding is also being provided to public hospitals with maternity services to improve access and options available to women, through specific projects:

• Maternity Services Funding
• Koori Maternity Services Program
• Rural Maternity Initiative

Government objectives for the Maternity Services Program

• Promoting measurable improvements in maternity care provision.
• Providing women with increased birthing options and with evidence based information on the benefits and risks associated with different options.
• Supporting and encouraging improvements in models of care in line with women’s needs and best available evidence.
• Improving outcomes through appropriate performance measurement
• Ensuring the maternity workforce is equipped to provide the best possible care thus ensuring optimal outcomes for women and their babies.