Concerns about maternity services in Central Queensland will be aired at an open community forum at Central Queensland University on Saturday, October 30.

President of the Australian College of Midwives Capricornia branch (ACMI) Dawn Hay said the forum will focus on more choices for childbearing women and more maternity services for women in rural and remote areas.

"It is time to give childbirth back to women and allow them to be supported by a health care system that truly espouses to a culture that enables free ‘choice’... choices that are supported, assisted and sustained by midwifery models of care," Ms Hay said.

"The way to enhance the birth mothers’ experience is to provide safe, culturally-appropriate and women-friendly maternity services.

"It is imperative if we are to create a culture that truly enables free ‘choice’ for childbearing women we need to recognise the inhibiting factors that limit these choices such as professional attitudes, systemic constraints and local differences." Expectant and current mums, dads and grandparents, midwives, obstetricians, paediatricians, anaesthetists, general medical practitioners and allied health personnel are encouraged to voice opinions at the forum and suggest alternative and additional services for Central Queensland.

The forum will be held at CQU Rockhampton (Bldg 29 ISL Theatre G.05, with videoconferences to CQU Mackay (University Drive - Bldg 6 ISL Room G.03) and CQU Bundaberg (Bldg 3 ISL Room G.24 ).

The Chairperson of the Review of Maternity Services in Queensland Dr Cherrell Hirst along with Vice-Chancellor and President of CQU Professor John Rickard will be the guest speakers at the Forum, being hosted by the ACMI Capricornia Branch.

Forum topics include: decentralisation of maternity services; new models of women/family centred care where women and their partners are supported throughout their pregnancy, labour and post partal period by midwives; more extended midwifery services to support mothers in the first days after birthing; better recognition for the knowledge and skills of midwives; more birth centres which are staffed by midwives and have access to the acute health care areas as required; more educational support for student midwives; better utilisation of emergency services to assist women and their families to stay within their own social environments to birth; and better access to specialist care such as obstetricians when the need arises.

For further information regarding the Review of Maternity Services in Queensland, refer to http://www.maternityservicesreviewqld.net.au/ .

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Details: Dawn Hay President ACMI Capricornia Branch Steering Committee Ph: (07) 4930 9703 Mob: 0438 751 974 Email: d.hay@cqu.edu.au