Evaluation of an Australian Aboriginal model of maternity care: The Malabar Community Midwifery Link Service.

Background: The urban-based Malabar Community Midwifery Link Service integrates multidisciplinary wrap-around services along-side continuity of midwifery care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies.

Aim: To evaluate the Malabar Service from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2014.

Methods: A mixed method design.

Australian maternity reform through clinical redesign.

The current Australian national maternity reform agenda focuses on improving access to maternity care for women and their families while preserving safety and quality. The caseload midwifery model of care offers the level of access to continuity of care proposed in the reforms however the introduction of these models in Australia continues to meet with strong resistance. In many places access to caseload midwifery care is offered as a token, usually restricted to well women, within limited metropolitan and regional facilities and where available, places for women are very small as a proportion of the total service provided.