GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS IN PUBLIC OBSTETRICS - AN UNDERUTILIZED RESOURCE

We questioned 229 general practitioners (GPs), 288 women who had recen tly delivered babies in public hospitals, 26 public hospital doctors, and 33 midwives in South Brisbane. Shared antenatal care was undertake n by 84% of mothers, and recently provided by 88% GPs. Mothers valued having sufficient time with their antenatal clinician, continuity of c are, and short waiting and travel times. They preferred a GP to provid e antenatal care, and a hospital midwife to deliver them. GPs were int erested in providing even more obstetric care - one third in providing intrapartum care - and in gaining continuing education in obstetrics. Hospital doctors and midwives were supportive of women choosing the p ersonnel to deliver them, and of an increased GP and midwife role in p ublic hospital obstetrics, but unenthusiastic about home deliveries. T here is widespread support for an increased role for GPs in public obs tetrics.