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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-05-05 Daily Xml
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International Day of the Midwife

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:06): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health and Wellbeing a question about International Day of the Midwife.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Last year, the World Health Organization announced that 2020 would be the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, before the pandemic hit. In recognition of their work over the past year, some jurisdictions have continued the recognition into 2021. In light of this particular recognition, will the minister update the council on this important celebration of midwives?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:07): I thank the honourable member for his question. It is indeed a worthy acknowledgement of the extraordinary contribution of nurses and midwives that some jurisdictions have made the international year into two years, with the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife moving from 2020 to 2021. Of course, within those years, the milestone days are 5 May and 12 May: 5 May being the International Day of the Midwife and 12 May being the International Day of the Nurse.

Today, 5 May, the International Day of the Midwife, it is appropriate that we recognise this year's theme, which is International Day of the Midwife—Follow the Data: Invest in Midwives. As Minister for Health and Wellbeing, I very much appreciate the wisdom of this theme. As we strive to come out of the global pandemic, it is essential that health systems use data and evidence to design and renew their services.

In the case of midwifery, we know midwifery is a profession founded on respect for women and on a strong belief in the value of women bearing and raising children, our next generation. All the evidence points to supporting the need to support women to be empowered through the journey of pregnancy, labour, childbirth and early parenting. The more quality education, information and support women are given through all of these stages the better the outcomes will be for both mother and baby or babies.

Midwifery is a women-centred primary healthcare discipline founded on the relationship between a woman and her midwife and focuses on a woman's needs, her expectations and her aspirations. Midwives play a critical role in promoting healthy women, ensuring the health and wellbeing of women and babies and the family unit.

The contribution of South Australian midwives has been recognised through the SA Health awards. In the category of the Chief Executives Imitation Award, we actually had two finalists from midwifery-based initiatives. In the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network, the Midwifery Caseload Model of Care Pilot was a finalist. That program is based on the belief that pregnant women deserve the best evidence-based care, no matter where they live.

In 2019, a midwifery case load model of care was implemented in rural South Australia in the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network. The model provides continuity of care across five birthing sites, working collaboratively with maternal and neonatal care providers and promoting a sustainable midwifery workforce regionally. This resulted in high-level, efficient, evidence-based care closer to home for women and families in local communities.

The second finalist in the same category was the Midwifery Group Practice at the maternity unit at the Ceduna hospital in the Eyre and Far North Local Health Network. Faced with regular suspension of the Ceduna birthing services due to staffing resources, the Ceduna hospital elected to adopt a midwifery group practice model of care for local expectant mothers. Appropriate senior roles were implemented to ensure success of the local adaptation of the midwifery group practice and the professional support of enthusiastic midwifery graduates.

Ability to share care through the group model has immensely benefited service continuity, staff retention and community satisfaction. I can vouch for that because last week I went to Ceduna and met with those midwives. I met with Kath Bald, Sandy Byster, Yolande Doecke, Isabeal Murphy-Haines and Faith Kiamba. I also met with Aboriginal Maternal Infant Care worker Deb Miller. It was great to talk to these women and hear their passion to walk alongside women in the birthing and parenting journey.

The past 15 months have been particularly challenging for practices and midwives in this state with the restrictions that COVID-19 has brought to bear on many aspects of the health system. Many midwives have had to pivot to provide additional support during labour when only one support worker has been allowed in the delivery suite with a birthing mother and in the days afterwards when hospital visitors have often been restricted.

On the pregnancy journey, many midwives have had to provide care and antenatal classes via video or teleconference. All these adaptations have been necessary to keep women safe through their pregnancy, but they have also added to the challenge for midwives and pregnant women and their families throughout this time. On the International Day of the Midwife, it is a pleasure for me to acknowledge and thank South Australian midwives for all that they do to support women and their babies, their broader families and the community.

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