Implement caseload midwifery care on the Sunshine Coast

Introduction: A caseload model of midwifery occurs when each midwife carries a caseload whereby he/she is responsible for a particular woman’s care during pregnancy, labour, birth and in the early weeks after the baby is born (Page et al 2000).

The woman has a known carer throughout her pregnancy, and also becomes familiar with other midwives in the same group practice who may be on call during her labour. The midwife is available in a flexible 24 hour schedule, with time rostered off call in consultation with other midwives in her group.

Typically one midwife will have a primary caseload of approximately 35-40 women per year, providing care through all stages of pregnancy, birthing and postnatal. This primary midwife also is the “back up” for approx the same number of women for other midwives in her group practice.

Fore more details, see Midwifery: Models of Care - Implementation Guide, available at http://www.health.qld.gov.au/ocno/content/middy_models.pdf

There is a group of midwives at Nambour Hospital who are very keen to move towards these changes. Anne Moore, who wrote the above guide, and who has previously implemented case-load midwifery at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane, now works here on the Sunshine Coast, and is available to lead & support the implementation of these changes at Nambour Hospital.

What we need is for the executives and the directors of the Nambour Hospital Board to realise is that this is precisely what we as consumers want.