Women on Kangaroo Island will again be able to give birth closer to home under a new model of care which will ensure the safe and more sustainable return of birthing services to the island from today, Monday 13 February.

The Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network, in collaboration with the Women’s and Children’s Health Network has developed the new model that improves the stability of the workforce to enable the return of birthing services to the Kangaroo Island Health Service.

In recent years, birthing services on Kangaroo Island have been suspended on multiple occasions as these workforce challenges have acutely impacted the local GP Clinic and health service.

Chris Picton, Minister for Health & Wellbeing, says It is very welcome news to have birthing services return to Kangaroo Island.

“The infrequent transport links to the mainland made re-establishing these birthing services on the Island so important.”

The new service includes a Midwifery Unit Manager, Associate MUM, two Registered Midwives, Medical Consultants in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and General Practice Obstetricians.

Under the model, each woman is allocated a dedicated midwife.

The new maternity model of care will deliver access to the remote community and facilitate a safe journey of care, increasing the scope of services, establishing a greater continuity in midwifery care and the provision of public obstetric gynaecology and women’s health outpatient services.

Women classified as high-risk will continue to be transferred to the mainland ahead of their birth but once they have been discharged and return to the island, they will be able to receive postnatal care from their local midwife.

The health network will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the new model as the sustainability of low volume regional birthing services continues to be challenged by chronic workforce shortages across the state.