It's enough. Or is it? Redesign of Rural Maternity Service

Aim

• introduction of continuity of care for maternity clients across rural settings
• embedding sustainable models for the future
• earlier engagement of women with maternity services

Outcomes

• valuable consumer feedback resulting in change pocesses
• staff feedback that led to improvement processes

Background

Rural maternity services experience a high degree of political focus and consumer driven advocacy forcing system review and change. Across the Darling Downs, maternity services have battled significant workforce shortages and heightened media scrutiny. In order to meet consumer expectations and ensure continuity of services, change processes have been implemented to improve service delivery.

The project team realised that a change process had to be implemented to improve rural maternity service delivery.

Discussion and results

Clinical outcomes will be reviewed Year to Date

• maternity care indicators
• consumer satisfaction
• numbers of women allocated to MG
• recruitment challenges and outcomes

Lessons learnt

Key themes identified during change process:

• communication, or lack thereof
• comfort with status quo - "it's good enough"
• feedback statements received - varied understanding and acceptance of different care models available
• resistance to change
• challenges of consultation across multiple campuses, rural towns and different audiences
• engagement - the power of consumers
• consumers views of current service - vision for future service.
• knowledge of midwifery scope of practice
• choice for women
• staff choice
• knowledge of midwifery consultation and referral guidelines



References




Draft Framework: Queensland Rural and Remote Maternity Service Planning Framework , August 2019.

Rural Maternity Taskforce Report, June 2019