The number of midwives in NSW has increased by more than 10 per cent since June 2023 with more than 3,400 FTE midwives now employed across the state, as the Minns Labor Government continues to invest in upgraded maternity services.
The Minns Labor Government’s significant improvements to maternity care, include:
- investing an additional $83 million, as part of the 2025-26 Budget, to boost maternity care, family care centres and maternal vaccination. This includes increasing access to midwifery continuity of care models and on-going funding for an additional 53 full-time equivalent midwives in regional NSW.
- ten new or expanded Midwifery Group Practices, and three new homebirth services over the past two years, with more midwifery continuity of care models in the planning phase.
- the establishment of a Chief Midwife role to help deliver more respectful, compassionate, trauma-informed and culturally safe care, as well as lead, coordinate and develop policy and strategies to support the midwifery workforce.
- increasing our midwifery workforce by more than 10 per cent, between June 2023 and June 2026, with more than 3,400 FTE of midwives currently employed across NSW.
- delivering 2,480 additional full time equivalent nurses and midwives, in identified key clinical areas. Rollout of Safe Staffing Levels has already commenced in 80 emergency departments across NSW, with over 970 FTE nurses recruited to date. Planning has commenced for the rollout of Safe Staffing Levels in dedicated postnatal wards.
To guide further improvements to maternity care in the future, communities across NSW are invited to share their experiences and feedback on public maternity services, to help inform the development of the Statewide Maternity Services Plan.
The Statewide Maternity Services Plan will guide public maternity services across the state over the next five to ten years to meet the changing needs of our communities.
The Plan will be informed by the insights and experiences of women and their families, clinicians and other stakeholders to ensure the best possible maternity care for women, babies and families in NSW Health.
The Statewide Maternity Services Plan builds on the NSW Government’s ongoing commitment to enhance maternity and family services across the state. This includes the development of Connecting, listening and responding: A Blueprint for Action – Maternity Care in NSW (the Blueprint), and response to the Birth Trauma Inquiry.
In addition, NSW Health accelerated five initiatives in response to the Inquiry and aligned to the Blueprint to ensure women and their families receive compassionate, respectful, trauma-informed and culturally safe maternity care.
The foundational work for all initiatives is now complete, including:
- increasing access to maternity continuity of care with 20 new or expanded midwifery continuity of care models established across NSW since 2024. This includes Midwifery Group Practice, Midwifery Antenatal and Postnatal Services and publicly funded homebirth services;
- embedding trauma-informed maternity care through the publication of the Quick guide for maternity staff: Integrated trauma-informed maternity care;
- improving the way information is provided to women through the publication of the Induction of Labour Policy Directive and Clinical Practice Guide, the development of an interactive map and improved NSW Health’s maternity webpages to help women and families explore pregnancy care options and find services available to them;
- improving consent processes in maternity care through the publication of the NSW Health Guideline Respectful Maternity Care; and
- supporting women who experience pregnancy complications through the publication of the NSW Health Guideline Pregnancy and Perinatal Loss and a new NSW Health webpage.
For more information on initiatives to improve maternity care in NSW, or to have your say on maternity services, visit: https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/maternity-services
The online survey will close on Sunday 20 September 2026. The Statewide Maternity Services Plan is expected to be finalised by December 2026.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
“Nearly 90,000 women give birth in NSW each year, and we’re committed to ensuring all women across the state receive respectful, evidence-based and equitable maternity care.
“We have made considerable improvements to the provision of maternity care across the state since coming to office, increasing access to midwifery continuity of care models across the state and completing the five fast track initiatives in response to the Birth Trauma Inquiry.
“Now the Statewide Maternity Services Plan demonstrates how we are continuing to listen and learn from women and their families, clinicians and other stakeholders to ensure we deliver the best possible care.
“We strongly encourage all communities to provide their feedback, insights and experience on local maternity services, as we want to ensure we continue to deliver services that meet the needs of women, babies and families now and into the future.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Chief Midwife Donna Garland:
“I encourage women from all communities across NSW to access the feedback portal and share their perspectives, to help shape the future of maternity care in NSW.
“Every woman in NSW deserves access to respectful care that supports choice, responds to her individual needs and supports her throughout pregnancy, birth and early parenthood.
“By investing in our workforce and strengthening the models of care that women value, we can improve access, choice and experience for the women, babies and families across NSW.
“A positive experience is about more than clinical care. It is about every woman feeling safe, respected, informed and supported, while receiving care that honours her culture, values, preferences and individual circumstances.”
