1. Maternity Newborn Clinical Network (MNCN)

The Maternity and Newborn Clinical Network (MNCN) was established in August 2007 following a state-wide forum for people interested in perinatal care (consumers, clinicians, hospital administrators).

The aim of the MNCN is to decrease unnecessary variation in clinical practice and improve outcomes for women and babies.

Since the establishment of the network there have been many developments for Victoria in clinical practice and policy for maternity and newborn service delivery. This includes the development of the Victorian Standard for Induction of Labour (IOL) and conducting statewide forums on Vaginal Birth after Caesarean (VBAC).

http://www.health.vic.gov.au/clinicalnetworks/maternity.htm

2. Australian College of Midwives

The Australian College of Midwives (ACM) is a national, not-for-profit organisation that serves as the peak professional body for midwives in Australia. The College was founded nationally in 1984, when midwifery associations in a number of states and territories came together to create a national peak body for Australian midwives.

As outlined in the ACM's  strategic vision, the College provides a unified voice for the midwifery profession, supports midwives to reach their full potential, and sets professional practice and education standards.

The ACM is committed to being the leading organisation shaping Australian maternity care, to ensure the best possible maternity outcomes for all Australian women.   It is guided by research evidence that pregnant women and mothers benefit from having access to midwifery care throughout their childbearing experience.

http://www.midwives.org.au

3. Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RNAZCOG)

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) is dedicated to maintaining the highest possible standards in obstetrics and gynaecology in Australia and New Zealand.

http://www.ranzcog.edu.au

4. Department of Health Maternity Care in Victoria Web site

The Maternity Services Program in Victoria aims to enhance public maternity care by working towards high quality birthing services as outlined in the Victorian Government's Future Directions for Victoria's Maternity Services - May 2004 (pdf, 1.23 MB)

Government objectives for the Maternity Services Program

• Promoting measurable improvements in maternity care provision.
• Providing women with increased birthing options and with evidence based information on the benefits and risks associated with different options.
• Supporting and encouraging improvements in models of care in line with women's needs and best available evidence.
• Improving outcomes through appropriate performance measurement
• Ensuring the maternity workforce is equipped to provide the best possible care thus ensuring optimal outcomes for women and their babies.

http://www.health.vic.gov.au/maternitycare

5.  The Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ)The Victorian Perinatal Emergency Referral Service (PERS)

The Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ) is a multidisciplinary society dedicated to improving the health and long term outcomes for mothers and their babies.  Perinatal is derived from the Greek term "peri-" meaning "around or about" and "natal" from the Latin term "natus" meaning "born" or birth.  PSANZ encompasses and strongly encourages research focussed on mothers and babies during pregnancy and at birth as well as the health of the newborn as its development continues after birth.

PSANZ includes: scientists, obstetricians, midwives, neonatologists, neonatal nurses, epidemiologists, surgeons, therapists and a variety of our professionals focussed on perinatal medicine.  The Society embraces the full scope of activity in this specialty, from basic science through to clinical practise and offers professional, political, administrative and educational advice.

http://www.psanz.com.au

6. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia has established State and Territory Boards to support the work of the National Board in the national scheme. The National Board will set policy and professional standards, and the State and Territory Boards will continue to make individual notification and registration decisions affecting individual nurses and midwives.

Our functions are supported by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). For information about legislation governing our operations see AHPRA's Legislation & Publications.

http://www.ahpra.gov.au

7. Newborn Emergency Transport Service, Victoria.

The Newborn Emergency Transport Service provides:

• Clinical consultation for sick &/or premature babies
• Emergency Transport of sick newborns
• Access to emergency perinatal consultation for high risk in-utero transfers
• Bed state information (Victorian Perinatal Information Centre)
• Return Transport Service
• Elective Transport Service
• Continuing education in perinatal care
• NETS Publications

http://www.rch.org.au/nets

8. The Victorian Perinatal Emergency Referral Service (PERS)

1300 137650

is functionally and physically co-located with the Victorian Newborn Emergency Transport Service (NETS) to provide the most appropriate expert emergency advice and care before or after a birth.

Obtain assistance with arranging emergency transport (mother and / or newborn).

Gain assistance with information regarding evidence-based clinical guidelines for care in urgent perinatal situations

Gain assistance with organising an appropriate higher level maternal or neonatal bed

http://www.pers.org.au

9. Ambulance Victoria

Ambulance Victoria has 250 ambulance branches strategically located across the Victoria. An ambulance branch is the starting point of a shift for paramedics.

Ambulance branches are designed to allow paramedics a chance to rest when not responding to calls as well as undertake training, debrief and store medical equipment, vehicles and supplies.

Air Ambulance Victoria (AAV) provides emergency aero medical care through a coordinated system designed to individually match services with patient needs. Our air wing ensures location is not a problem when it comes to receiving medical care.

The Air Ambulance workload is diverse and includes not only primary emergency response, but also inter-hospital transfers from to and from rural hospitals.

We operate five emergency helicopters. These are based in Essendon, Bendigo, the Latrobe Valley and Warrnambool. Their primary focus is responding to emergency calls, providing early MICA care at the scene of an accident and rapid transport of critical patients to major hospitals.

http://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au

10. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

The College's mission is to improve health and wellbeing for all Australians by supporting general practitioners, registrars and medical students by assessing doctors skills and knowledge, supplying ongoing professional development activities, developing resources and guidelines, helping general practitioners with issues that affect their practice and development standards that general practices use as part of the accreditation processes.

The College carries its activities within a series of strategic principles that can be viewed at

www.racgp.org.au/council/strategicprinciples.

11. Otway Division of GPs

Otway Division of General Practice (ODGP) is located in southwest Victoria. Our Division extends from Winchelsea and Aireys Inlet in the east across to Portland, Heywood and the South Australian border. The sea forms our southern boundary and the Grampians/Great Dividing Range our northern one.

http://www.otway.asn.au