Maternal, Neonatal and Gynaecology

The state-wide Maternal and Neonatal Community of Practice Committee replaces the previous SA Maternal & Neonatal Clinical Network that was dissolved in 2015. It is representative of a multidisciplinary team of health care clinicians, from metropolitan and country health working in maternity and neonatal care who are responsible for developing a sustainable, high quality, equitable state wide perinatal service in South Australia. It is also committed to consumer and community engagement as part of its role, regarding this as integral to a quality health system for mothers and babies.

The Community of Practice is responsible for developing the priorities, standards and other related outcomes relevant to contemporary perinatal practice in South Australia, with assistance from its Clinical Reference Group,.

The Community of Practice brings together rural and metropolitan clinicians, other professionals and consumer representatives to jointly plan and implement services, ensuring better health outcomes for mothers and newborn infants across South Australia.

The Community of Practice will provide the state-wide governance for maternity and neonatal services within South Australia.

SA Perinatal Advice

Telephone: (08) 8161 9999

The SA Maternal and Neonatal Community of Practice established the SA Perinatal Advice Line in 2009 for South Australian healthcare providers requiring urgent or emergency obstetric and neonatal clinical advice. 

Standards for services policy

The Standards for Maternal and Neonatal Services in South Australia 2015 (PDF 1.2MB) has been developed to assist South Australian public health care providers and service planners determine the appropriate scope and level of maternity and neonatal services for their particular unit and/or organisation.

Notably the policy includes six levels of service delineation, within a criterion-based framework. The six levels of service delineation determine the minimum clinical standards that should be afforded by a maternity and/or neonatal service of a given complexity. The policy also considers quality and safety of care, and defines the relevant workforce, equipment, protocols and service arrangements that need to be formally in place to ensure the continuity of a particular level of service.