Connecting, listening and responding: A Blueprint for Action – Maternity Care in NSW

Summary

NSW Health published Connecting, Listening and Responding: A Blueprint for Action – Maternity Care in NSW (the Blueprint) in March 2023, following extensive consultation with women, families, clinicians and maternity services.

The Blueprint is built around 10 goals shaped by what women told us matters most, with a vision that all women in NSW receive respectful, evidence-based and equitable maternity care that improves experiences and health and wellbeing outcomes.

Women receive maternity care that is socially and culturally respectful.
The outcomes that matter to women, and their experiences, actively inform their maternity care and future service improvements.
Women have enough information before conception to optimise their health, pregnancy experience and outcomes.
Women are connected to information and care early in pregnancy.
Antenatal care reflects the individual preferences and needs of women, babies and families.
Women are offered different care options, are actively involved in decision-making about their care and their choices are respected.
Women with additional needs during pregnancy are connected to appropriate services.
Women are informed of the possible outcomes of all aspects of care during labour and birth.
Women receive safe, high quality, evidence-based care that is appropriate to their individual needs and expectations.
Women are connected to the care and support they need after birth.

Turning what we heard into action

Implementation of the Blueprint is well underway. The NSW Health Maternity Expert Advisory Group and the NSW Health Maternity Consumer Reference Group are providing advice and making recommendations on the implementation of the Blueprint.

In response to the Inquiry into Birth Trauma, the NSW Government accelerated five areas of work aligned to the Blueprint, with foundational work completed in July 2026:

increasing access to maternity continuity of care models, including midwifery continuity of care
embedding trauma-informed care into all aspects of maternity care
improving the way information is provided to women
improving the consent process in maternity care
supporting women who experience pregnancy complications.

Investing in maternity care

The NSW Government is investing $44.8 million over 4 years through the 2025-26 NSW Budget to build on this work and improve maternity care and the experiences of women and families across NSW.

The investment is supporting:

increased access to midwifery continuity of care models, including ongoing funding for an additional 53 full-time equivalent midwives in regional local health districts across NSW
enhanced training for clinicians in respectful maternity care
enhanced antenatal education and information for women and families
implementation of a statewide maternity patient-reported experience measure.