SNSWLHD
Southern NSW Local Health District is delivering the Yass Maternity Enhancement Project to improve access to maternity care in the Yass Valley.
Community consultation for the Yass Maternity Enhancement Project will commence shortly. The consultation will focus on proposed naming for the centre and maternity wing, as well as interior colour scheme options. Further information on how to participate will be provided soon.
About the project
The Yass Maternity Enhancement Project includes the establishment of a Pregnancy and Postnatal Care Centre at the Eric Bell Centre at 147 Meehan Street, Yass, next to the Yass District Hospital, alongside expanded midwifery-led models of care and integrated support services.
Once complete, the Yass Pregnancy and Postnatal Care Centre will provide:
- A dedicated, family-centred (non-birthing) maternity space
- Clinical consultation rooms
- Spaces for childbirth education and group programs
- Integrated maternity services including:
- Antenatal and postnatal care
- Childbirth and parenting education
- Lactation consultant services
- Trauma-informed postnatal debriefing
- Women's and babies' physiotherapy
- Access to midwifery continuity of care through a Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) model, based at Goulburn and Queanbeyan hospitals
- Virtual care options to support families across the region
- Funded by the Australian Government through a $4.7 million Commonwealth Federation Funding Agreement
- Delivered by NSW Health and Southern NSW Local Health District
- Includes infrastructure upgrades to the Eric Bell Centre and service model enhancements
The project is funded and underway.
Current work includes:
- Planning and design activities
- Preparation of construction tender documents
- Roof works at the Eric Bell Centre
- Interior design planning
- Ongoing stakeholder and community consultation
The project is designed to deliver safe, high quality, woman-centred care.
This includes:
- Strong clinical governance and safety systems
- A focus on culturally safe and trauma-informed care
- Ongoing monitoring of access, experience and service outcomes
- Staged implementation to support workforce and service safety