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Current Programs and InitiativesOn this page: Having a Baby in Victoria website | Maternity Services Performance Indicators | Victorian Maternity Record (VMR) | The Rural Maternity Initiative (RMI) | Pregnancy Care & Maternity Emergency Education Program (PCMEEP) | Koori Maternity Services Program | Perinatal Emergency Referral Service (PERS) | Fetal Surveillance Education Program | 3Centres Collaboration Having a Baby in Victoria websiteThe website is a resource for women having a baby or women who are thinking about becoming pregnant. It provides information about the many questions that arise during pregnancy and in preparing for birth and life after the birth. The site is designed to help women make their care decisions and promotes the concept of partnership between women and health professionals who provide maternity care services. See Having a Baby in Victoria website. Maternity Services Performance IndicatorsSince 2003 all Victorian public hospitals providing maternity care hare been reporting annually against a suite of 10 performance indicators addressing both process and outcome measures across the maternity services episode from pregnancy through to the early postnatal period. These indicators are evidence based and were developed in consultation with maternity care managers, clinicians and consumers. Current report: About the indicators:
The following domains were selected:
Previous reports:
Files for hospital use:
Please note the changes to population sample size for both small and large services for MAT 7 (Women being offered appropriate interventions in relation to smoking). Victorian Maternity Record (VMR)The VMR is a government initiative to provide pregnant women with a uniform hand held maternity record. This reflects the government’s vision and the principles outlined in 'Future directions for Victoria maternity services', particularly that all pregnant women accessing public maternity services in Victoria should carry the VMR by December 2009. The VMR was introduced to engage women in decisions regarding their own care and to improve communication between service providers. Key functions of the VMR
In February 2009, feedback was sought from health services around VMR design and user-friendliness. The feedback was consistent and constructive. Two key recommendations were agreed
Download documents
Further informationContact Karen Irving for further information - email karen.irving@health.vic.gov.au or phone (03) 9096 0109. The Rural Maternity Initiative (RMI)The Rural Maternity Initiative commenced in 2003 to support rural maternity hospitals in the establishment of continuity of midwifery models of care. The RMI was broadened in 2007/08 to include projects and service redesign that supported rural maternity services more broadly. This strategy has contributed to sustainability of local maternity services and has given rural women choice in childbirth options, a principle that underpins the Government’s maternity framework - 'Future directions for Victoria’s maternity services'. Future directions for Victoria’s maternity services - May 2004 (PDF file 1.23MB). A total of 39 health services were funded up until the 2007/08 year through the RMI. Some health services have examined their maternity services with a view to ensuring sustainability into the future; a large proportion of these have resulted in the introduction of midwifery care models. Collaborative maternity care between hospital midwives and local general practitioners has also been a feature of many of the funded models/projects. In some rural communities where birthing services are not available, the development of collaborative projects and alliances has enabled the provision of antenatal care, often by midwives, in a woman’s own community. This local care has resulted in women being able to access local care with travel only required for their birth. These alliances have also enabled a sharing of resources and an increase in capacity of all hospitals to meet consumer needs and the growth in birth numbers that have occurred in recent times. Area-based integration of health service provision between sub-regional and local health services is a feature of some of these alliances and collaborative projects. This feature has formed a key platform of the Rural Directions for a better state of health policy document. Further funding of $5.6 million for 2007–2011 has been allocated to continue to enhance maternity care and sustainability of services in rural areas. Future allocation of funds will continue to target programs that support sustainability of maternity services in rural Victoria as well as midwifery models of care where they contribute to viability of the maternity service. Further informationContact Joan O’Neill (Program Adviser, Rural Health Branch) Phone: 9096 1425 or email joan.oneill@health.vic.gov.au Industrial Framework for Continuity ModelsThe industrial framework for continuity models has been developed to assist health services to achieve equitable work practices and conditions for all midwives. There are many variations of work practices in continuity of midwifery care models as some of these models require midwives to work outside the traditional ward roster which provided some challenges in relation to industrial conditions. The Agreement outlines the proposed conditions of employment of midwives within these models and provides security for those midwives who remain within the traditional or acute system when a continuity model has been introduced – thus ensuring maintenance of skills and conditions. A guideline has also been developed to assist health services in the process of implementing the industrial framework.
Pregnancy Care and Maternity Emergency Education Program (PCMEEP)The Pregnancy Care and Maternity Emergency Education Program provides evidence-informed multidisciplinary education in pregnancy care and maternity emergencies. The program consist of two separate components (Pregnancy Care and Maternity Emergency Education) which build on the existing knowledge of maternity clinicians to further develop their confidence and competence to meet the specific needs of each pregnant woman in Victoria. Piloted in 2005, the ongoing program consists of workshops conducted onsite in primary, secondary and tertiary maternity services in each geographical region across Victoria. Both education programs are provided using a collaborative framework and explore the scope of practice of maternity clinicians. Pregnancy care program The pregnancy care program is conducted as a one-day workshop using learning modules that are aligned to the 3Centres Consensus Guidelines on Antenatal Care. Individual programs are developed to support professional practice, knowledge and skill enhancement The modules include:
Maternity emergency education program The maternity emergency education program is conducted over one and a half days on site in the maternity care setting. Each workshop focuses on three of the following emergencies:
The program focuses on crisis resource management and clinical risk management and involves use of simulation. Both programs use interactive learning environments and are facilitated by a team of consisting of clinical midwife consultants, obstetricians and simulated patients. Further informationEmail maternityservices@health.vic.gov.au Koori Maternity Services ProgramCulturally appropriate maternity care is provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women throughout pregnancy, working with hospitals for birth and during the postnatal period through Aboriginal Community Controlled Cooperatives (VACCHO) in ten sites throughout Victoria. There are two key ways in which care is provided. The first involves an Aboriginal maternity health worker and a midwife, who are both employed by the Aboriginal health service. They combine their skills to offer a comprehensive service to women in the local community, including a clinical component. The second employs an Aboriginal Health worker who supports women during pregnancy and after birth and is responsible for linking Aboriginal women with appropriate clinical service providers. For further details about programs at specific sites see Having a Baby in Victoria. Perinatal Emergency Referral Service (PERS)The Victorian Government will be funding over $800,000 each year to provide a 24-hour hotline for immediate access to expert specialists in the event of an unforseen birthing emergency. For the first time in Australia, expert obstetric and neonatal advice, emergency transport, if required, plus access to the necessary beds will all be co-ordinated and managed in ‘one’. The Victorian Perinatal Emergency Referral Service (PERS) was launched by the Victorian Minister for Health in November 2005. The mission of this statewide service is to provide maternity care providers in Victoria with a coordinated, timely and safe approach to:
Further informationPERS is a key element of the Victorian Government’s ‘Future directions for Victoria’s maternity services’. For more information, see the Perinatal Emergency Referral Service website. Fetal Surveillance Education ProgramThe Intrapartum Fetal Surveillance Education & Credentialing Project established an education program in intrapartum fetal surveillance which is now being rolled out to all interested Victorian Public maternity hospitals. This project was a collaboration between three tertiary centres (Royal Women’s Hospital, Southern Health and Mercy Hospital for Women), the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Australian College of Midwives and was jointly funded by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (VMIA). Further informationFurther details regarding this project can be found at the RANZCOG Fetal Surveillance Education Program website.3Centres CollaborationThe '3centres Collaboration' refers to collective decisions undertaken by a joint steering committee of leaders in obstetric and midwifery services at the three tertiary maternity hospitals. The Collaboration receives funding from the department. Two work programs (2003-5 and 2006-9) have been completed. Major achievements of the collaboration to date include:
A work program for 2009-11 is being developed, and the collaboration aims to:
Further informationFor more information visit the 3centres Collaboration website |
Last updated:
31 October, 2011
This web site is managed and authorised by the Maternity and Newborn Program, Performance, Acute Programs and Rural Health Branch of the Hospital and Health Service Performance Division of the Victorian State Government, Department of Health, Australia |
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