MEDIA RELEASE Wednesday, April 11, 2007

RURAL MIDWIFERY MODEL HAS GREAT RESULTS

The National President of the Australian College of Midwives, Professor Pat Brodie, today stated that the Mareeba Maternity Unit was a great example of what could be achieved in rural units throughout the country. 

“The unit was closing due to no obstetricians being available to staff the unit.  Women in the area rallied and the unit has been reopened as a midwifery lead unit with appropriate consultation with medical staff and transfer guidelines for women who need it” Professor Brodie said.

“The results speak for themselves with no issues in regard to safety and caesarean sections statistics that are sensational”.   The unit has a 6% caesarean section rate with a national rate of nearly 30%. 

With closures in rural services being reported weekly from all over the country the main focus is that the women are able to stay close to their families for birth and that the town continues to have local birthing facilities available.  The Mareeba Unit has provided care for 300 women throughout the 12 months review period.   

Many international and Australian studies have long indicated the safety and sustainability of units staffed by midwives with consultation and transfer to larger maternity units as needed.  The Re-birthing review of maternity services in QLD in 2005 recommended local primary units be utilised staffed by midwives which would refer to larger units as required.  This would enable many more units to stay open in a sustainable way and could also see unit re-opened that may have been closed for some time.

The Mareeba unit also provides care for large numbers of indigenous women with 21% of the women using the service identifying as being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.  “With the results of the Re-birthing review of maternity services focusing on outcomes for indigenous women it is wonderful to see indigenous women able to access services close to home.”

Professor Brodie added. “Governments need to act and ensure that services like Mareeba are rolled out across QLD and the rest of the country”.