Maternity and neonatal services across NSW and the ACT are connected through eight tiered perinatal networks, helping women and newborns access the right care, in the right place, at the right time, as close to home as possible.
Each network connects maternity and neonatal services of different levels of capability, with clear pathways for consultation, referral, and transfer when higher-level care is needed.
The networks are anchored by a Level 6 maternity service and Level 5 or 6 neonatal service, which work in partnership with other services across the network to support equitable and timely access to care.
NSW Health is improving tiered perinatal networks to support safe, equitable and coordinated maternity and neonatal care.
Recent updates to the NSW Health Policy Directive Tiered Networking Arrangements for Perinatal Care in NSW provide increased support and advice for transferring women and newborns to receive specialised care.
Further work is underway to strengthen the role of neonatal services within tiered perinatal networks.
Pregnancy Connect is improving access to specialist maternity care for women across NSW, particularly those living in regional and rural NSW.
The statewide service connects women and their local maternity teams with specialist obstetric support and advice, helping more women receive the care they need closer to home. Pregnancy Connect aims to:
Pregnancy Connect is supported by 13 full-time equivalent midwives and eight full-time equivalent obstetricians, with clinicians in local health districts allocated dedicated time to lead the program across NSW and the ACT.
For regional and rural clinicians, Pregnancy Connect provides access to specialist obstetric support and advice, helping to strengthen local maternity services and build a more connected workforce.
Read about work underway to improve maternity care in NSW.