Shared Maternity Care Affiliate Guidelines 2010
Schedule of Shared Maternity Care tests and visits at Sunshine Hospital
What is Shared Maternity Care?
Becoming a Shared Maternity Care Affiliate (accreditation requirements)
Reaccreditation requirements
Clinical Resources
Shared Maternity Care Coordinator contact details
List of Shared Maternity Care Affiliates at Western Health 2011-2013
Shared Maternity Care Affiliate Guidelines 2010
The guidelines for Shared Maternity Care Affiliates provide shared maternity care affiliates with concise, up-to-date guidelines on the provision of shared maternity care at the Royal Women's Hospital, Mercy Hospital for Women, Sunshine Hospital and Northern Health. They also include information on antenatal care and hospital and community supports for women and health care providers.
Guidelines for Shared Maternity Care Affiliates 2010.pdf
Resource Library
The Guidelines for Shared Maternity Care Affiliates (2010) were developed by the Shared Maternity care Collaborative (GP Liaison Units at Royal Women's Hospital, Mercy Hospital for Women, Sunshine Hospital and Northern Health) in association with shared maternity care affiliates, the Royal Australian College of General Practice and General Practice Victoria.
At these hospitals, shared maternity care is a major model of care in which a woman is cared for by both hospital staff and a community-based affiliate. The woman attends the hospital for the birth and immediate postnatal care.
Shared maternity care aims to provide a community-based, holistic, safe and culturally appropriate model of care for women. Women often choose this model of care as it provides continuity of care, their GP already knows their family and is convenient.
What is Shared Maternity Care?
Shared Maternity Care is a model of care which allows women to have the majority of their antenatal visits in the community with a hospital affiliated general practitioner (GP), obstetrician or midwife.
The Shared Maternity Care Program is available to any woman with a low risk pregnancy. The woman attends Sunshine Hospital for some antenatal visits, and attends the hospital for the birth and immediate postnatal care. Alternatively, patients enrolled in shared maternity care may attend a community clinic for most of their 'hospital' visits.
Becoming a shared care maternity affiliate (accreditation requirements)
Pathways to achieve accreditation
GPs wishing to become a Shared Maternity Care Affiliate at one or more of the following sites Sunshine Hospital, Royal Women's Hospital, the Mercy Hospital for Women and the Northern Hospital must fulfil one of the following criteria:
- DRANZCOG - primary qualification in last 5 years (recertification required)
- Diploma Obstetrics RACOG (no recertification required) plus recent involvement in provision of antenatal care
- CSCT in Women's Health plus recent involvement in provision of antenatal care
- FRANZCOG/FRACOG
- Significant hospital experience as an antenatal care provider
- GPs who do not meet the postgraduate/experience requirements may apply to attend antenatal sessions at one of the hospitals
For more information on the criteria to achieve accreditation please contact the General Practice Liaison Unit on 8345 1735 or gp@wh.org.au
Applying to become a shared care affiliate
To apply, please download and complete the Accreditation application form (169KB). Please note applicants must provide contact details for two referees and evidence of:
- MBBS or equivalent
- Current unrestricted medical registration in Victoria
- Current Medical Indemnity/Insurance Membership
If the application is successful, accreditation is valid for a three year period, in line with the RACGP QA & CPD triennium.
Reaccreditation requirements
Accreditation is valid for three years in line with the RACGP QI & CPD triennium. The current triennium is 2011-2013.
Every three years, affiliates will be invited to undertake reaccreditation in order to maintain their affiliation. Reaccreditation criteria differ from the criteria required for initial accreditation. Ten pregnancy related Category 2 QI & CPD points were required for reaccreditation for the current triennium and a similar requirement is anticipated for reaccreditation for the 2014-2017 triennium. Please note these are different from Women's Health points adjudicated by the RACGP. It is recommended that GPs keep the programs of pregnancy related activities they attend.
Reaccreditation options
Annual workshop
The Shared Maternity Care Collaborative which consists of Sunshine Hospital, Royal Women's Hospital, the Mercy Hospital for Women and the Northern Hospital host an education day each year on pregnancy related care. Attendance at this workshop meets the criteria for reaccreditation at each of the four sites. Please note that number of registrations is capped for this event.
Online learning
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) online learning platform has several pregnancy related modules that will assist GPs in meeting their professional development requirements to maintain their accreditation.
Clinical resources
Shared maternity care schedule of tests and visits
The schedule of shared maternity care visits and tests at Sunshine are consistent with the schedule in the Victorian Maternity Record that is used at the hospital. To download a copy of the schedule (taken from the Shared Maternity Care Affiliate Guidelines 2010) click here (65KB).
Victorian Maternity Record (VMR)
The Victorian Maternity Record (VMR) is the hand held maternity record for women used by Sunshine Hospital. The VMR is designed to engage women in decisions regarding their maternity care and to improve communication between a woman's GP and Sunshine Maternity Services.
The VMR should be initiated by Shared Maternity Care Affiliates at the first antenatal visit (approx 7-12 weeks).
To order copies of the VMR for your practice, or if you have any questions please contact the Shared Maternity Care Coordinator on
0466 130 457 (Tues - Wed) or maternitysharedcare@wh.org.au or the General Practice Liaison Unit on 8345 1735 or gp@wh.org.au
Click here for more information on the VMR
Shared Maternity Care Coordinator Contact Details
The Shared Maternity Care Coordinator is the key person for non-urgent contact for both Shared Maternity Care Affiliates (SMCA) and women. The Shared Maternity Care Coordinator responds to issues that arise for women and ensures that non-urgent queries from SMCA are dealt with in a timely manner.
The Shared Maternity Care Coordinator at Sunshine Hospital is Mr Francis Sweeney. Francis can be contacted on Tuesday and Wednesday from 8.30 am - 5.00 pm on 0466 130 457or 8345 1105 or via email maternitysharedcare@wh.org.au. Outside of these hours you can contact the Women's Clinic Manager on 8345 1727 or the General Practice Liaison Unit 8345 1735 for assistance.
List of Western Health Shared Maternity Care Affilliates
Download (84KB) a list of GPs and Obstetricans who are current Shared Maternity Care Affiliates with Western Health
