Australian College of Midwives

Australian College of Midwives
Name	Australian College of Midwives
Abbreviation	ACM
Formation	1984
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Region served	Australia

Australian College of Midwives is the peak professional association representing midwives across Australia, advocating for midwifery practice, education, and maternal and newborn health. The College engages with national institutions, state and territory bodies, Indigenous organisations and international agencies to shape clinical standards, workforce policy and public health initiatives. It serves as a hub connecting practitioners, policymakers and researchers across hospitals, universities and community services.

History

The College was established in the 1980s amid broader healthcare reforms influenced by actors such as Royal College of Nursing (United Kingdom), Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, World Health Organization, United Nations maternal health programmes and state-based midwifery groups. Founding activities drew on precedents from organisations like Royal College of Midwives and advocacy networks such as National Rural Health Alliance and Australian Council of Social Service. Over subsequent decades the College interacted with bodies including Australian Health Ministers' Conference, Australian Medical Association, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and tertiary institutions such as University of Sydney, Monash University and University of Melbourne to expand its remit. Milestones aligned with national policy events like reviews by the National Health and Medical Research Council and inquiries by parliamentary committees including the Senate Community Affairs References Committee.

Organization and Governance

The College is governed by a national board that liaises with state and territory branches, professional groups and advisory committees involving stakeholders such as Australian Capital Territory Health Directorate, New South Wales Ministry of Health, Victorian Department of Health, Queensland Health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission predecessors. Its constitution and by-laws reflect interaction with regulators like the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and accreditation authorities such as the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. Governance processes reference standards promulgated by agencies including Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and reporting expectations set by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. The College’s leadership has included figures who engaged with organisations like Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and participated in national forums convened by Department of Health and Aged Care (Australia).

Membership and Accreditation

Membership pathways align with qualifications awarded by institutions such as Griffith University, Flinders University, Curtin University and La Trobe University, and with registration through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. The College offers categories for students, registered midwives, interstate practitioners and retired members, coordinating with employers including Healthcare Management Advisors and public providers like Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne and John Hunter Hospital. Accreditation partnerships reference international counterparts such as International Confederation of Midwives and regional frameworks used by New Zealand College of Midwives and links with professional insurers and unions such as Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, Health Services Union and Australian industrial tribunals.

Professional Standards and Practice

The College issues clinical guidance and competency frameworks that mirror documents from agencies like the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and international guidance from World Health Organization. Practice recommendations intersect with clinical specialties represented by organisations such as Royal Australasian College of Physicians and Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and with Indigenous health frameworks developed alongside Aboriginal Medical Service and Lowitja Institute. The College has contributed to protocols relevant to maternity services delivered in settings such as Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Campbelltown Hospital and remote clinics supported by Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Advocacy and Policy

The College advocates on policy issues including workforce planning, continuity of care models and perinatal mental health by engaging with bodies such as Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Productivity Commission, Parliament of Australia committees and peak consumer organisations like Consumers Health Forum of Australia. It has participated in national campaigns alongside groups such as Every Australian Counts and collaborated with policy partners including Council of Australian Governments working groups, state health ministers and Indigenous policy forums like National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. The College has submitted to inquiries and consultations influenced by reports from the Grattan Institute and recommendations from Royal Commissions.

Education and Professional Development

Continuing professional development programs are delivered in partnership with universities such as University of Queensland, Australian Catholic University and specialist providers used by hospitals including St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney and Royal Hobart Hospital. The College runs conferences, webinars and training aligned with accreditation by bodies like the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and links to international education networks such as International Confederation of Midwives. It supports midwifery research training pathways that interface with scholarship schemes from agencies like the National Health and Medical Research Council and fellowship programs offered by entities including the Rural Workforce Agency networks.

Publications and Research

The College publishes position statements, practice guidelines and policy briefs and collaborates with academic journals and publishers such as BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, The Lancet, Midwifery (journal), Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and university presses. Research partnerships have included collaborations with centres like the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Health Services Research Centre and initiatives funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and foundations such as The Ian Potter Foundation. Outputs inform national datasets curated by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and contribute to international evidence syntheses coordinated by Cochrane and the World Health Organization.

Category:Medical associations based in Australia