BY Kerri-Anne Mesner
WOMEN planning to have a baby at the Sunshine Hospital in St Albans will have more interaction with midwives thanks to a model of care announced by Western Health.
Caseload Midwifery will ensure women have a one-to-one relationship with a midwife for pregnancy, labour, birth and post-natal care. A second midwife will act as a back-up.
More than 3500 babies are born each year at Sunshine Hospital, which is the third largest maternity hospital in Victoria and is seen as an ideal location to launch Caseload Midwifery.
Birthrates at Sunshine Hospital have increased and population projections for child-bearing women in the Western Health region are predicted to increase significantly over the next 20 years.
The catchment area for Sunshine Hospital extends from Williamstown to Sunbury and out along the growth corridor of Caroline Springs and Melton.
Western Health chief executive officer Kathryn Cook said Western Health was proud to be able to extend the options available for women planning to give birth at Sunshine Hospital.
“Western Health has already established models of care including shared care with GPs, African women’s clinics and specialty clinical-needs clinics. Caseload midwifery will be a fantastic addition to the services already provided,” Ms Cook said.
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon, the member for Gellibrand, supported the announcement.
“I had my daughter Rebecca at Sunshine Hospital and their maternity services and staff were wonderful,” Ms Roxon said.
“Seeing a midwife in a community outreach service was great for me — it was closer to home but still linked back to the hospital.
“It is fantastic that Sunshine Hospital can now offer women another option for their care during pregnancy.”
