Does maternity care in Australia align with the national maternity Strategy? Findings from a national survey of women’s experiences

Abstract

BackgroundWomen Centred Care: Strategic directions for Australian maternity services (the Strategy), released in November 2019, provides national guidance on effective maternity care provision. The Strategy is structured around four core values (safety, respect, choice, and access) underpinning twelve woman-centred care principles. AimTo explore whether the experiences of women who accessed Australian maternity services were aligned with the Strategy’s values and principles. MethodsWomen who had completed an entire maternity care episode in Australia between January 2020 and June 2023 were invited to participate in an online survey. Women’s experiences according to the Strategy’s values and principles and their association with model of care, age, place of residence, educational attainment, and household income are reported. FindingsThe survey was completed by 1750 women. A proportion of women perceived the Strategy’s values were not reflected in the care they experienced. At its lowest, only 50.3 % of women received an aspect of care that mostly or always aligned with the values, and 85.9 % at its highest. Women in private models of care were more likely to experience care according to the Strategy. Women in standard and high-risk public hospital care, rural/remote dwelling women, and younger women were less likely to experience care accordingly. Care was universally perceived to be worse in the postnatal period. ConclusionDespite articulating how Australian maternity care should be provided, the intent of the Strategy has not been fully realised. Inequities exist in women’s access to and experiences of care across the entire maternity episode.