Government of New Brunswick

December 5, 2016

Fredericton (GNB) – The New Brunswick Women’s Council welcomes the Dec. 5 announcement of the Government of New Brunswick’s midwifery pilot program in Fredericton and looks forward to further details on how the pilot will be designed to support the effective integration of midwives into the healthcare system.

“The government’s commitment to strengthening our healthcare system hinges on shifting toward care that is increasingly patient-centred and community-based,” said council co-chair Jody Dallaire. “Midwifery aligns with all of those goals while being a cost-effective model.”

Midwifery has been legislated in New Brunswick since 2010 but has yet to be integrated into the healthcare system. Midwives are recognized primary health care professionals who have obtained specialized four-year university degrees. They offer a continuum of care during pregnancy, labour, birth, and the post-partum period.

The majority of Canadian provinces and territories have integrated midwifery into their healthcare systems. International and Canadian studies have consistently shown that midwifery is both a safe and cost-effective model of care.

“Midwives are skilled medical professional who can offer new levels of care to New Brunswickers while reducing stress on hospitals and budgets,” said co-chair Jennifer Richard. “To maximize the effectiveness of midwives, their integration is must not only be swift, but thorough. They need to be able to practice the full scope of their skills in collaboration with other healthcare professionals.”

The council is New Brunswick’s independent advisory body on women’s equality issues. It is mandated to bring issues of importance to women and their substantive equality to the attention of government and the public and to provide independent advice to the government on such issues.

12-05-16

Media contact: Beth Lyons, Executive Director, New Brunswick Women’s Council 
[email protected] Tel. 506-462-5142