The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch), with more than 6000 midwifery members, has welcomed the Allan Government's decision to establish the Victorian Maternity Taskforce to focus on the complex challenges in our maternity and newborn services.
ANMF (Vic Branch) Assistant Secretary Madeleine Harradence said the midwifery workforce was still recovering and rebuilding from the difficult pandemic years and statewide reform was needed to ensure the viability of maternity services, particularly in rural and regional Victoria.
Research released in 2022 found that midwives moved from permanent to casual employment during the pandemic years for multiple reasons, which was impacting the ability to provide maternity services due to staffing shortfalls.
The La Trobe University School of Nursing and Midwifery conducted the initial study called 'The FUSCHIA study: Future proofing the midwifery workforce in Victoria' in 2021. ANMF has provided funding to support the longitudinal continuation of this study through to 2026, to better understand and respond to midwifery workforce wellbeing and retention over time.
Ms Harradence said: 'We look forward to contributing to the work of this critical taskforce through our Maternity Services Officer Nicole Allan, who is a midwife and deeply connected to our more than 6000 midwifery members and will ensure their voices are heard.
'We know there are rostering, work/life balance, student employment and career path strategies and models of care that, if implemented, could better support and retain our passionate midwifery workforce. Our members want to work in a system that provides access, choice and flexibility to them and to women in their choice of maternity care, to enable safe woman-centred midwifery care.
'Through recent public sector outcomes, improved ratios, and advocacy around continuity models, ANMF is doing everything within our power to improve the conditions for our midwifery members,' she said.
'Now we need to work with the government and the Department of Health to drive central, but nuanced reforms by introducing proven maternity models of care, inclusive of continuity of care models that enable midwives to work in a way that provides safe care to women and babies and brings immense professional satisfaction. The aim is for midwives to stay in the profession that they love,' Ms Harradence said.
About us:
The ANMF (Vic Branch) has more than 105,000 members – nurses, midwives and aged care personal care workers – across the Victorian health and aged care sectors.
