The Wagga Wagga Midwifery Group Practice is being celebrated, as the service marks its first anniversary.
In June 2025, the dedicated six-midwife Wagga Wagga Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) team was established, to provide eligible women with continuity of care with a known midwife.
Since then, the MGP team has cared for more than 200 women, with 160 babies born.
Under the MGP model, women receive care from a known primary midwife throughout their pregnancy, labour, birth, and up to two weeks after birth. MGP midwives work as part of a small team to ensure support and minimise potential disruptions to care.
The Wagga Wagga MGP is the second midwifery-led service in Murrumbidgee alongside Leeton MGP, which continues to provide a midwifery-led model of care for local families
A review of the criteria for MGP is also enabling more women with higher-level care needs to access the service, where clinically appropriate, or to stay in the program if they develop risk factors during pregnancy.
The Wagga Wagga Midwifery Group Practice service is part of the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to increasing access to midwifery continuity of care models across the state, which was supported by a $44.8 million investment into maternity care in the 2025-26 NSW Budget that includes funding for an additional 53 FTE midwives in regional NSW.
Since 2023, the Minns Labor Government has opened a total of ten new regional Midwifery Group Practices in Glen Innes, Port Macquarie, Goulburn, Queanbeyan, Bega, Moruya, Manning, Shoalhaven, Cooma, and expanded the service in Wollongong.
Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:
“The NSW Government wants all women in NSW to have access to evidence-based, respectful maternity care.
“We have listened to, and acted on, feedback that women want greater access to midwifery continuity of care, so I am delighted to celebrate Wagga’s Midwifery Group Practice first anniversary.
“Since it’s opening, the Wagga MGP has increased women’s ability to choose the type of maternity care that best suits them by offering a continuity‑of‑care model led by a known midwife throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period.”
Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr:
“It is great to see this service is celebrating a year of providing midwifery-lead care for women and babies in the local community.
“The service is giving women more options for accessing care closer to home.”
Murrumbidgee Local Health District Chief Executive Emma Field:
“We are delighted to be celebrating the first anniversary of the Wagga Wagga Midwifery Group Practice.
“The MGP provides eligible women with more options for their pregnancy care and birth experience.
“I am very proud of our MGP staff, who are dedicated to providing the best possible care to women, their babies and their families.”
MGP midwife, Elise McIntyre:
“As a midwife I love working with women and their family, getting to know them and supporting them through such a special time in their lives.
“Providing continuity of care very rewarding as a midwife.”