First Nations Midwifery Group Practice

To enable women who identify (or whose baby identifies) as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander to remain at home as much as possible whilst continuing to receive continuity of midwifery care throughout the pandemic (and ongoing), Darling Downs introduced a First Nations Midwifery Group Practice (MGP). The model involves a dedicated primary midwife who cares for a woman and her baby for the duration of antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care, including both home visit and telehealth appointments.

The success of the approach has seen increased care on community; increased engagement of women who historically have not engaged with the service whilst pregnant; individualised care for women and their families; flexibility to reschedule appointments outside of traditional clinic hours; and increased engagement with Aboriginal Health Workers.