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 Care Maternity Collaborative with representatives from:
- Mercy Health (Werribee Mercy Hospital and Mercy Hospital for Women)
- The Royal Women’s Hospital (Parkville & Sandringham)
- Northern Health
- Western Health
Guidelines For Shared Maternity Care Affiliates 2021
GPs and obstetricians wishing to apply for credentialing as a Shared Maternity Care Affiliate for 2023–2025 can download this application form.
Completed application forms and supporting documents can be sent to the Primary Care Liaison Unit by email or fax (see contact details at the bottom of the page).
All GP and obstetrician applications are assessed by our GP liaison medical advisor. Depending on qualifications and experience, applicants may be required to complete a learning module and undertake supervisory sessions at our antenatal clinics.
Affiliates will be invited to undertake re-credentialing at the end of each three-year period. To meet re-credentialing requirements, affiliates must provide evidence of:
- current medical registration
- medical indemnity insurance
- a minimum of 10 pregnancy-related Quality Improvement and Continuing Professional Development (QI&CPD) points
- a signed Shared Maternity Care Affiliate agreement.
Shared Maternity Care Midwife, The Royal Women's Hospital
- Email address: sharedcare@thewomens.org.au
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About:
Midwives seeking credentialing as a Shared Maternity Care Affiliate should email 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 non-urgent enquires, please contact:
Primary Care Liaison Team
- Email address: primarycare@mercy.com.au
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About:
The team is available on a part time basis to assist general practice with navigating hospital services and accessing GP education and credentialing. Email and voicemail messages will be responded to during business hours.
Additional resources
Last reviewed October 16, 2019.