Department of Health

Capability frameworks for maternity and newborn services

Maternity and newborn care in Victoria

Key messages

  • Victoria’s network of services means that, for most women and families, maternity and newborn care is provided close to home.
  • A tiered system with agreed levels of care for public maternity and newborn services means that women and families can have confidence in the consistency and quality of care they receive.
  • Capability frameworks support and guide how planned maternity and newborn care is provided.

Capability frameworks for maternity and newborn services

The Capability frameworks for Victorian maternity and newborn services:

  • Describe the requirements for providing safe and high-quality maternity and newborn care for Victorian public and private hospitals, including the required workforce, infrastructure, equipment and clinical support services.
  • Assist health services make informed decisions about the resources, partnerships and protocols required to manage different complexities of care
  • Enable a transparent approach to planning and service development at a local level, taking into account community need.
  • Support health service regions and the department to plan and manage the maternity and newborn service system.

For further information download the framework documents below:

Maternity and newborn capability levels

Services operate in a networked system across 6 levels of care:

  • Levels 1-3: Local care for healthy women and babies at low risk
  • Level 4: Local care for women and babes with some risk requiring additional care
  • Level 5-6: Local care for all women and babies. Regional/statewide care for women and babies at high risk

The capability levels for 2022-23 to 2023-24 can be found below:

Reviewed 19 April 2023

Health.vic

Contact us

Maternity and Newborn Program Department of Health GPO Box 4541, Melbourne, VIC 3001

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