Summary
- Women and babies in the Western Cape region will now have greater access to contemporary evidence-based best practice midwifery care
- Weipa MGP provides support as part of a multidisciplinary care team that includes nurses, allied health, advanced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, administration staff and doctors with advanced training in obstetrics and anaesthetics.
Women and babies in the Western Cape region will now have greater access to contemporary evidence-based best practice midwifery care.
Ms Lorraine Woods, a clinical midwife in Weipa Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) has become the first credentialed endorsed midwife at Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service.
Weipa MGP provides support as part of a multidisciplinary care team that includes nurses, allied health, advanced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, administration staff and doctors with advanced training in obstetrics and anaesthetics.
An endorsed midwife is a registered midwife that has completed a nationally approved postgraduate course leading to an endorsement for scheduled medicines.
Ms Woods said these credentials meant she can prescribe medications and request diagnostic testing for the women in her caseload.
“It will benefit the women in my care as I can respond to a wider range of patient needs.
“Professionally, it gives me more autonomy and enables me to work to my full scope of practice”, she said.
Ms Michelle O'Connor, Director of Midwifery at TCHHS said that this was a fantastic achievement for Lorraine and the Health Service.
"It is rare to find an endorsed midwife credentialled to provide this care employed in a public health capacity, as the majority work in private practice.
“The advanced scope of an endorsed midwife reduces the need for women and babies to see multiple healthcare professionals.
“We know that continuity of care leads to better outcomes for our women and families and this is what maternity consumers want from our health service.
“This will improve care for women and families and enhance work satisfaction for our midwives", she said.
Ms Liz Wilkes, Chief Midwife Officer at Queensland Health said “We are becoming more and more aware of the benefits for the women, midwives and the health service of having endorsed midwives credentialed within their facilities.
“I am absolutely thrilled that [Lorraine] is the first to achieve this milestone in TCHHS.”.
Birthing services at Weipa Integrated Health Service began on 22 May 2024.