Shared maternity care affiliates

Shared maternity care aims to provide a high-quality community-based, holistic, safe and culturally appropriate model of care for women which offers continuity and convenience. This model of care is popular with women who are healthy and have a normal pregnancy.

How to become a shared maternity care affiliate

The credentialing of shared maternity care affiliate GPs is managed through a Shared Maternity Care Collaborative with representatives from:

• Mercy Health (Mercy Hospital for Women)
• The Royal Women’s Hospital (Parkville)
• Northern Health
• Western Health

Guidelines For Shared Maternity Care Affiliates 2021

These Guidelines have been developed for the provision of shared maternity care between The Royal Women’s Hospital, Mercy Hospital for Women, Western Health and Northern Health (the Hospitals) and shared maternity care affiliates credentialed at these hospitals.

Download here.

Credentialing as an affiliate

To become a Shared Maternity Care Affiliate as a GP or Obstetrician, please email the Primary Care Liaison Unit at [email protected] with the following details:

• First name
• Last name
• GP or Obstetrician designation
• Contact email address
• Contact phone number

Once received, the Primary Care Liaison Unit will send you an invitation to complete the credentialing form.

There are three pathways for GPs to achieve credentialing:

1. Postgraduate qualification within the last five years
   One of the following (or equivalent):

• Diploma of RANZCOG (former)
• RANZCOG Certificate in Women’s Health (CWH)
• RANZCOG Associate Training Program (Procedural or Advanced Procedural)

AND

• No gap in clinical practice of more than 12 months (if there is a gap, you may be asked to provide further information)

2. Postgraduate qualification more than five years ago
   One of the following (or equivalent):

• Diploma of RANZCOG/RACOG (former)
• RANZCOG/RACOG Certificate in Women’s Health (CWH)

AND

• Recent involvement in maternity care (you will be asked to list services/hospitals and dates)

3. Fellow of RACGP/ACRRM who does not meet the above postgraduate requirements
   Applications are assessed individually by designated registered medical practitioners at SMCC hospitals. Additional training may be required depending on your experience. Training may include:

• Online learning (e.g. RACGP Antenatal and Postnatal modules)
• Supervised attendance at antenatal clinics (including at least one session at a primary hospital site)
• Other training (e.g. hospital questionnaire, workshops, CPD events)
• Certificate of Women’s Health (if very little or no experience). See the RANZCOG website for details.

What a GP must provide:

• Certified copy of proof of identity documents (100 points)*
• National police check (within the last 12 months)*
• Certificate of professional indemnity insurance*
• Certified copy of postgraduate qualifications (if relevant)
• CPD statements
• Two professional referees
• Agreement to undertakings
• A CV, including details such as:

• • Undergraduate and postgraduate experience and qualifications in obstetrics, antenatal clinics, gynaecology, women’s health, emergency and neonatal care (include dates, FTE loading, roles, responsibilities and institutions)
  • Clinical and academic appointments or teaching experience
  • Quality improvement activities
  • Experience as a shared maternity care provider

*Not required if employed at Mercy Health.

What an Obstetrician must provide:

• Certified copy of proof of identity documents (100 points)*
• National police check (within the last 12 months)*
• Certificate of professional indemnity insurance*
• Two professional referees*
• Agreement to undertakings

*Not required if employed at Mercy Health.

Our Primary Care Liaison Unit will assess all GP and obstetrician applications. Depending on qualifications and experience, applicants may be required to undertake supervisory sessions at our antenatal clinics

Recredentialing as an affiliate

Shared Maternity Care Affiliates must recredential every three years. The next recredentialing period is due by 31 December 2025. Affiliates will receive an email invitation around mid-October 2025.

If you haven’t received communication or need to update your contact details, please email: [email protected]

 To recredential for the 2026–28 triennium, GPs and obstetricians must provide:

• Evidence of at least five hours of pregnancy-related CPD undertaken during 2023–2025 (not required for obstetricians or those first credentialed in 2025)
• Certificate of professional indemnity insurance
• Agreement to undertakings

To recredential for the 2026–28 triennium, GPs and obstetricians must provide:

• Evidence of at least eight hours of pregnancy-related CPD undertaken during 2026–2028, including 6 hours of core units provided by the collaborative (not required for obstetricians or those first credentialed in 2028)
• Certificate of professional indemnity insurance
• Agreement to undertakings

Shared Maternity Care Midwife, The Royal Women's Hospital

Schedule of visits

At the first hospital appointment, patients will be given a schedule of visits. They will also be given a Victorian Maternity Record (VMR). To ensure continuity of care, the VMR is used for all shared maternity care patients. Read more about the Victorian Maternity Record.

Contacts

For urgent medical advice, please contact: