Midwifery Group Practice

Women using the Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) model of care will have a known midwife who works with one or more backup midwives to provide care from early in pregnancy, throughout labour and birth, and for up to six weeks after birth. MGP midwives work closely with Townsville University Hospital obstetricians and other health care professionals, allowing the team to care for pregnant women regardless of their pregnancy risk or the complexity of their care.

Where possible, MGP antenatal care is provided at the Kirwan Health Campus providing a more relaxed, community-focussed environment for women.

If all is well following the birth of your child, you can expect to be discharged between six and 24 hours post birth or 72 hours following caesarean.

Following the birth of your child, postnatal and newborn care is provided in the community, usually in the woman’s home for up to six weeks.

Pregnancy Risk

Women can receive care from the MGP regardless of their pregnancy risk. Pregnancy risk is based on medical conditions that impact on the pregnancy. Medical complications can be present prior to pregnancy or arise during pregnancy. Women receiving care from the MGP give birth at Townsville University Hospital birth suites with access to advanced medical equipment and staff.

How do I access MGP?

To be accepted for pregnancy care and to go on the waitlist for your preferred model of care, all women require a referral through one of the following pathways:

1. Self-referral: Submit a referral using the Queensland Health online form:
   https://www.pregnancycare.health.qld.gov.au/self-referral-form

• Please make a comment in the comments section at the end of the form if you have a preference for MGP or Birth Centre, or both, and any other relevant information.

OR

1. GP referral: Your GP can send a completed referral directly to:
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We request that referrals are submitted at the earliest opportunity to ensure your pregnancy care is not delayed while awaiting potential acceptance into either MGP or Birth Centre.

Once your referral is received and processed by the TUH Referral Hub, it will be forwarded to the Women's and Children's Clinic (WCC) at TUH. A WCC midwife will contact you for an initial triage discussion about your pregnancy care options. During this call, the midwife will confirm that all required information about your pregnancy is completed and discuss any recommended care such as blood tests or ultrasounds. If you have been receiving care with your GP, the midwife will review what care has already occurred and identify any other recommendations.

If you express interest in Birth Centre care or MGP, your referral will then be sent to those teams for review. Please note that places within the MGP and Birth Centre are limited, and submitting a referral requesting this model of care does not guarantee allocation.

If you have not been contacted by the Birth Centre or MGP teams by 12 weeks + 0 days of pregnancy, it means you have not been accepted into these teams. In this case, your ongoing pregnancy care will continue through the standard antenatal clinic pathway at the Townsville University Hospital.

 If you need assistance with the referral process or have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Additional information can be found at Having a baby | Townsville Hospital and Health Service

Please note that to be eligible for the MGP model of care you must reside within 40km of Townsville University Hospital.

Contact us

Midwifery Group Practice
Phone: (07) 4433 9486

Fax: 4433 9271

Email: {"ct":"bj3EfUf3UQOU1YovckpDZv+h5\/MFqTTzmBW8RqeirM95ns6I6M6ZAFbIoC5j227F","iv":"d7dd3058e390ea5b5551665ee9f0d017","s":"bdfd922d4afd074c"}

GP referrals
GPs, please send referrals to the Referral Hub at {"ct":"\/MQGXAA6yvV8NTIZJrIUqN4iDXfOcGh1IG20ja8LHULCd9RImJXlwu91qo7c7hHL","iv":"8f040354b35202d14e7da9d0f57157f8","s":"b025945fb0fecf7a"}

Women’s and Children’s Clinic
Ph: (07) 4433 1450