QNMU celebrates publicly funded homebirths for Queensland
Published: 23 November 2023
Following a Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union (QNMU) campaign, Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has today announced the start of publicly funded homebirth in Queensland.
QNMU Secretary Kate Veach said the state government’s commitment to publicly funded homebirth was a major win for Queensland mothers and families.
Ms Veach said the QNMU campaigned for public funding to give eligible women choice in how and where they receive care and give birth. The announcement will bring Queensland in line with all other states and territories except Tasmania, which does not fund homebirth.
“The QNMU and midwives have campaigned for publicly funded homebirth services to ensure eligible women have choice regarding how and where they give birth in Queensland,” Ms Veach said.
“The announcement of publicly funded homebirth will eventually ensure skilled midwives can provide maternity services where and when they’re required.
“Today’s announcement is a major win for Queensland women, families and midwives and we applaud Minister Fentiman for listening.”
QNMU midwife Ashleigh Sullivan said Minister Fentiman’s announcement of publicly funded homebirth, starting on the Sunshine Coast, would give healthy women with low-risk pregnancies the right to choose how and where they receive care and gave birth.
Ms Sullivan said the state government commitment also acknowledged the incredible skill set of Queensland midwives. She said homebirth was a safe option for healthy women with low-risk pregnancies who wanted to birth at home and had the ability to transfer to hospital if required.
“This announcement could see all eligible Queensland women given the right to choose where they receive care while pregnant, during labour, birth and during post-natal care,” Ms Sullivan said.
“As a midwife I would like to thank Minister Fentiman for listening to Queensland women and midwives.”
The QNMU is advised publicly funded homebirth for low-risk pregnancies will begin in mid-2024 on the Sunshine Coast with Queensland Health (QH) midwives employed under a Midwifery Group Practice Model (MGP) at Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH).
The QNMU is advised Sunshine Coast outcomes will guide the state-wide roll out of publicly funded homebirth.
The state government commitment follows QNMU midwifery events including a rally outside Parliament House in August to call for public homebirth funding and the introduction of midwifery ratios. QNMU midwives have also met with politicians state-wide to call for public homebirth funding and midwifery ratios.
Publicly funded homebirth will allow healthy Queensland women with complication-free pregnancies to receive care and give birth how and where they want to – with the assistance of an appropriately trained midwife.
Midwives are highly trained and regulated health professionals with the ability to detect and manage emergent issues, including transfer to hospital if required.
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia sets out a robust regulatory framework to support the safe and professional practice of midwives attending homebirths.
Midwives who provide homebirth services are also required to complete education and training in obstetric emergency management, adult basic life support course and newborn resuscitation course consistent with the Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation guidelines. Midwives are highly skilled at detecting complications and appropriately managing and reacting to them.
For more information on homebirth, click here.
Evidence regarding homebirth outcomes is available here.
The announcement follows the state government’s August 23 commitment of $16 million for regional, remote and rural MGPs and a Queensland Chief Midwife to oversee and progress state-wide midwifery issues.
The QNMU also thanks and acknowledges the hard work and advocacy of the Australian College of Midwives (ACM), who have worked with the QNMU and our members to secure these important commitments. We look forward to continuing our work with the ACM to achieve further improvements for our midwives.
Contact: 0422 550 278.