Expectant mothers on the Sunshine Coast will soon have the option to give birth at home thanks to a new Queensland Health service.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has announced an initial investment of $1.2m to launch the new homebirth initiative – the first of its kind in Queensland.
The Publicly Funded Homebirth service is expected to start at Sunshine Coast University Hospital from mid-2024.
Currently, Queensland women can choose to birth at home through privately practising midwives. This will be expanded on the Sunshine Coast to Queensland Health midwives employed under a Midwifery Group Practice Model.
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As part of the new service, Queensland Health midwives on the Sunshine Coast will provide care to women who have opted for a homebirth and who have a low-risk pregnancy.
Sunshine Coast Health chief executive Dr Peter Gillies said the new service would expand the options available to mums-to-be.
“Sunshine Coast Health is proud to be the site for the first publicly funded homebirth service in Queensland, as an extension of our birthing services offered to local women,” he said.
“Homebirth provides women with a choice of location for the birth of their baby. Research shows planned homebirth for selected women has similar safety outcomes to hospital birth when attended by a skilled midwife.
“I want to thank our hardworking and dedicated staff in our women’s and children’s unit, who care for our antenatal and postnatal women and their babies for making this service a possibility for Sunshine Coast Health.”
Ms Fentiman said the Publicly Funded Homebirth service showed the state government’s commitment to providing better maternity care options.
“Queensland women deserve access to high-quality, respectful and reliable maternity services, and this new service is a significant step towards expanding those options available,” she said.
“This service provides additional options for low-risk pregnant women to give birth in the comfort of their own homes, aligning with our commitment to delivering care closer to where women live.”
Queensland Health will assess the success of the service to guide future planning and decision-making including the viability of the service in other parts of the state.
Previously, Queensland and Tasmania were the only states to not offer publicly funded homebirths.
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