Access and collaborative care hot topics for discussion

Media Release

Wednesday 10 April, 2013

Access and collaborative care hot topics for discussion at RANZCOG's conference

Napier hosts the RANZCOG NZ Committee's Annual Scientific Meeting this week, with genetic testing, IVF and multiple births up for discussion

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) New Zealand Committee kicked off its Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) today in Napier. The focus is on improving access to care for New Zealand women and providing best practice leadership in obstetric and gynaecological care presented by experts from around the world.

More than 220 obstetricians, gynaecologists, GP-obstetricians, medical trainees, midwives and other health professionals from around the country will be attending the conference at the Napier War Memorial Conference Centre, hearing from 34 local and international speakers on the latest innovations and controversial topics in obstetrics and gynaecology.

"This year we have focused on the extremes of our specialty, in the aims of upskilling our Fellows so they are more prepared in the rare event something goes wrong. The hope is sharing these insights with the wider healthcare profession will lead to improvements in care for women around the country," says Dr John Tait, Chair of the RANZCOG New Zealand Committee.

Topics being discussed this year include new developments in IVF (in vitro fertilisation), dealing with obstetric shock, multiple births, genetic testing and life-threatening conditions during pregnancy. There is also a large focus on improving access to quality and timely care for women around the country.

"My team and I conducted a study to identify the barriers of access to appropriate and timely obstetric care for women in Counties Manukau. Difficulties appear to arise from the dissociation of primary care in the area – specifically GP and maternity care systems. Specific barriers to care included the lack of access to transport, phone services and childcare, as well as language difficulties. General low levels of knowledge about the importance of pregnancy care, and of starting it early, as well as a lack of knowledge about how to go about getting care significantly contributed to reduced access to care," says Sarah Corbett, Obstetric Registrar at Auckland Hospital.

"By accurately identifying obstacles to care, we are able to work out the best ways to create a better model of care that is appropriate to the needs of individual communities. Improved access will lead to better health outcomes for women and their babies."

The College has been working closely with the Ministry of Health, DHBs around the country, and other Colleges such as the College of Midwives and the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, to make sure these barriers to care are being identified and removed, as well as promoting seamless collaborative care between doctors, midwives and other healthcare professionals.

"We look forward to welcoming our Fellows and guests, and generating some engaging discussions so they can take something home with them that will improve healthcare for women in their communities," adds Dr Tait.

Attracting healthcare professionals from across New Zealand, the conference showcases posters and presentations from overseas and local experts over the three days, with additional workshops for Fellows, providing current thinking on all the main areas of obstetrics and gynaecology.

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