Women would be able to employ private midwives to deliver their babies in a pilot program at two public hospitals under a Labor government.
Labor leader Daniel Andrews competed with a crying baby as he made the announcement at a private midwifery clinic in Brunswick on Monday.
It follows complaints that public hospitals are failing to establish arrangements with private midwives to act as primary carers for women giving birth, as occurs with private obstetricians.
Health Department guidelines released a year ago paved the way for such arrangements after federal changes in 2010 that expanded the role of registered midwives.
This included authorising midwives to access Medicare and prescribe subsidised medicines when working in collaborative arrangements with hospitals.
But Health Minister David Davis last month said he was unaware of any Victorian health service entering into a collaborative arrangement with a midwife, which was a matter for individual hospitals.
Mr Andrews said a Labor government would establish a pilot program at two public hospitals from next year for private midwives to deliver babies, in a bid to provide women with more choices.
He could not say which hospitals would be involved but said busy maternity services at Sunshine and Casey hospitals were involved in a home birth trial in recent years.
Mr Andrews said the pilot program could run for up to three years and expand to other maternity services across Victoria if successful.
He said about 1000 babies a year were delivered in Queensland under the model, which allowed women to have continuity of care throughout their pregnancy and birth with a private midwife.
The model provided an opportunity for the state to save money, Mr Andrews said, because midwifery care could be claimed under Medicare and also through private health insurance.
“There is no cost to the Victorian taxpayer, and, in fact, a significant saving,” he said.
Under the arrangements, midwifes regularly review cases with hospital obstetricians and can transfer care to them during labour if complications arise.
Maternity Choices Australia state president Nicole Ford welcomed the announcement.
She said private midwifery care in public hospitals should be an option “available to every woman”.
“Having a midwife who follows you through pregnancy, birth and your first weeks of parenting, who knows you and your family, is so reassuring,” she said.
“We have all the pieces ready to give women this option, the Medicare money is available and the midwives are ready.
“What is needed is leadership from government and our public hospitals to finally put the pieces together and connect community care with hospital services.”