Bentley Hospital’s new Midwifery Birth Centre (MBC) offers a new childbirth option for the East Metropolitan Health Service area. The service is led by credentialed and endorsed midwives who have undertaken additional training and can order pregnancy-related tests and ultrasounds, prescribe medications, and refer to specialists when needed.
Women using the service will be cared for by the same midwife for the duration of their pregnancy and are encouraged to provide continuity of care across hospital sites where local policies allow.
Women receiving care must be ‘low risk’ as there are no medical services onsite. Women developing risk factors during the pregnancy will be referred to the appropriate local maternity hospital for review and ongoing care.
Pharmacological pain relief options are not available. Women requesting opioids or epidural analgesia for their labour will need to transfer to the local maternity hospital. More information on patient eligibility and risk factors is available on the Bentley Health Services website.
GPs can refer patients via BHS.OutpatientReferrals@health.wa.gov.au