Today, the Royal Women’s Hospital proudly hosted the launch of the Victorian Maternity Taskforce Report – Rural and Regional. This landmark initiative was announced by the Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas alongside the Australian Midwifery and Nursing Federation (AMNF) and Safer Care Victoria (SCV).
This report sets out a new vision for maternity care across Victoria - one that places equity, access, and cultural safety at the heart of every woman’s experience, regardless of their postcode.
As a leading tertiary maternity hospital, the Women’s is deeply committed to supporting the transformation of maternity services across the state. We welcome the taskforce’s recommendations, particularly the creation of a Chief Midwife for Victoria. This role will bring dedicated leadership, accountability, and strategic oversight to a sector that touches the lives of thousands of families every year.
The Women’s has long advocated for system-wide reform that recognises the complexity of maternity care and the need for continuity, cultural responsiveness, and workforce sustainability. This report delivers on that promise.
Lisa Lynch, the Women’s Chief Operations Officer, is a member of the taskforce. “At the Women’s, we are proud to contribute our expertise, credibility, and leadership to this system-wide transformation. We recognise the workforce challenges, particularly in regional and rural areas, but also the immense talent that already exists in these communities,” Lisa says.
She highlights that this work is about enabling and empowering that workforce to operate at its full potential. “The taskforce’s recommendations offer a template for continuity of care and system integration that will not only improve outcomes for women and babies but also drive efficiencies and cost-effectiveness across the sector.
By embedding culturally responsive models and leveraging digital innovation, we are helping to shape a maternity system that is inclusive, resilient, and future-ready.”
The Women’s is proud to have lent its expertise to the development of this report and stands ready to support its implementation. We believe that every woman deserves a maternity experience that is safe, respectful, and empowering—and this taskforce brings us one step closer to that goal.
Read the full report here: https://www.safercare.vic.gov.au/publications/victorian-maternity-taskforce-report