PREGNANCY SA TELEPHONE SERVICE

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (14:26): Can the Minister for Health update the house on a new phone service to help pregnant women plan their pregnancy?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:26): I thank the member for her question, but I should say that the phone service does not actually help them plan their pregnancy; they do that on their own. However, what we do is help in the management of their pregnancy.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: It would be a very interesting telephone service if it were to do that. The Department of Health has established a new statewide telephone service for women seeking their first antenatal appointment in a public metropolitan maternity unit.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: No, I didn't catch it on the phone. The telephone service was a recommendation made by the South Australian Maternal and Neonatal Clinical Network, which is a group of leading clinicians, including specialist doctors, formed to provide strategic advice to the state government.

The Maternal and Neonatal Clinical Network has called for a single point of telephone contact for the public and health professionals to allow a coordinated approach to antenatal bookings. The telephone service will also act as a single point of contact for general practitioners, obstetricians, gynaecologists and midwives who may wish to make antenatal bookings on behalf of their patients. The telephone service will initially be available to women giving birth in public hospitals across metropolitan Adelaide, but it is expected to eventually be expanded to provide linkages to intrapartum, postnatal, neonatal and lactation advice services.

The telephone service will assist the caller in arranging a first antenatal appointment at the closest public maternity unit. It will be managed by the Children's Youth and Women's Health Service. At her first antenatal visit, a woman, with support from the staff, will make a decision on where she will receive her antenatal care and the hospital where she will give birth. The Department of Health will talk to health professionals and doctors about the implementation of the new Pregnancy SA telephone line during coming weeks, with the service expected to start early next month. Pregnant women will be advised of the phone number through their GPs when it begins operation. Information regarding the service will also be available on the Pregnancy SA web page and information sheets will be placed at chemists and doctors rooms, and at the antenatal clinics.

This is an initiative of the clinical network that has been established for maternal and neonatal health. The Department of Health has established eight clinical networks, and the advice from the clinical networks will very much drive policy in relation to clinical services into the future. I am very pleased to see this first initiative from that particular clinic.