ANMF midwife members working in the public sector should review their employer’s nomination of birth suites to ensure compliance with the Safe Patient Care Act 2015.
A nominated birth suite is a birth suite that is occupied or available to be occupied and used for care of birthing women or for midwifery assessment.
The Safe Patient Care Act, Section 31 Birthing Suites, requires that in February and August each year, the operator of a hospital:
- must determine the number of occupied birthing suites in the hospital for the following six months starting on 1 March or 1 September of that year (as the case requires) and
- must publish the determination on the hospital’s Internet site.
To determine the number of occupied birthing suites, the operator of a hospital must take into account:
- the number of birthing suites used for birthing or midwifery assessments during the preceding year and
- any factors which are likely to increase or decrease the number of birthing suites to be used for birthing or midwifery assessments during the following six months.
The Safe Patient Care Act provides direction for staffing of those maternity services, Level 1, 2 and 3, that birth less than 730 births per year.
Members are encouraged to review their employer’s nomination of birth suites. If you think it is incorrect, fill out the Member Assistance contact form.
