Page 2232 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 3 August 2022
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speech. I rise instead to update members on the ACT government’s ambitious plans for public maternity services through our recently released 10-year plan, Maternity in focus: the ACT public maternity system plan 2022-2032.
This statement also serves as an update on the ACT government’s response to the standing committee report on the inquiry into maternity services in the ACT. Members may recall that in response to recommendation 2 of the report, the government committed to delivering an implementation plan for the National strategy for maternity services, Women-centred care: strategic directions for Australian maternity services.
On Friday 22 June 2022, I launched Maternity in focus and its corresponding first action plan. This holistic and strategic plan sets the government’s ambition and direction for the evolution of our public maternity services over the coming decade.
For members’ information, I present the following papers:
Maternity in Focus:
ACT Public Maternity System Plan 2022-2023, dated June 2022.
First Action Plan 2022-2025.
Health, Ageing and Community Services—Standing Committee (Ninth Assembly)—Report 10—Report on Inquiry into Maternity Services in the ACT—Update on Government response—Ministerial statement, 3 August 2022.
The plan takes a system-wide approach, with a vision to provide the right maternity care at the right time which meets the needs of the woman or pregnant person and their family, and encompasses their social, emotional, physical, psychological, spiritual and cultural needs and expectations. To meet this vision, the plan identifies four themes of focus: consumers, best practice maternity care, clinical governance and data, and workforce.
The government has taken a strategic and holistic approach to system and service level reforms to the public maternity system. Instead of delivering multiple project and implementation plans, there is a single, comprehensive public maternity system plan. This consolidated plan has been produced through collaboration between the ACT health directorate, Canberra Health Services and Calvary Public Hospital Bruce.
Several national and local strategies have informed this plan including: Woman-centred care: Strategic directions for Australian maternity services, the national maternity strategy I mentioned earlier; the National stillbirth action and implementation plan; the Australian national breastfeeding strategy: 2019 and beyond; the evaluation of the publicly funded homebirth trial in the ACT; the Safer baby bundle; and the ACT government response to the inquiry into maternity services in the ACT.
Madam Speaker, both Maternity in Focus and the first action plan have been developed based on extensive internal and targeted external consultation across the ACT health directorate, Canberra Health Services, Calvary Public Hospital Bruce, academics, consumers, non-government organisations, tertiary education institutions, unions, other jurisdictions, and professional bodies.
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