Starting Well Initiative – a partnership approach to antenatal and postnatal care

A new pathway of care for pregnant women in Caboolture is helping ensure babies have a great start to life.

Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Children’s Health Queensland’s Child Health Services and the Brisbane North Primary Health Network (PHN) are working in partnership to empower health professionals to work together as a care team, beyond organisational or system structures, to support children and families in the antenatal period and early stages of a child’s life.

Caboolture Hospital Midwife Rebecca Zgrajewski with mother Megan Yarnold and daughter Skylah Baines.

The ‘Starting Well Initiative’ focuses on mothers and their family, building strong relationships with health professionals – including continuity of midwifery care, which enables families to get to know and be supported by a named midwife throughout their pregnancy and after birth.

Families are also personally introduced to Child Health Services before their baby is born and GPs receive more regular communication about their patient throughout the antenatal and postnatal periods.

Brisbane North PHN Deputy CEO Libby Dunstan said increasing connections with a family’s GP supported ongoing continuity of care as children continued to grow.

“Enabling these health professionals to work together as a team is not only better for the patient, but supports building better relationships and connections with each other,” Libby said.

The pathway is supported by the co-location of Caboolture Hospital midwives with Children’s Health Queensland’s Child Health team at Caboolture Square Shopping Centre.

Families have antenatal appointments and get to know their midwife and child health nurse at the same place in the community.

After baby arrives, families are visited by their midwife and child health nurse together at home and supported to transition from maternity care onto Child Health Services, as required.

Caboolture Hospital Acting Executive Director Angie Dobbrick said early data showed increased engagement in the antenatal period and a dramatic reduction in ‘fail to attend’ rates.

“Supporting our midwives to work alongside child health nurses and increase connections with the family GP means parents and babies can seamlessly transition from hospital and into the community, receiving truly holistic care.”