Australia’s new vision for maternity services has vowed to put women at the centre of care, with support for a variety of doctor- and midwife-led care models.

Two years ago, a draft version of the National Strategic Approach to Maternity Service was scrapped after Australian Doctor revealed it had been drawn up by a working group dominated by midwives and bureaucrats who had failed to adequately consult with either obstetricians or GPs.

Nor did it address key clinical issues, such as vitamin K prophylaxis or the evidence behind midwife-led versus obstetrician-led care.

The new version formally adopted by the Council of Australian Governments on 1 November still remains silent on these topics but it contains a demand for a “positive maternity workforce culture based on interdisciplinary collaboration and communication”.