ANSC Services

Project Officer: Karen Wheeler
Phone: 8752 4906

Project Officer: Di Deschamps
Phone: 8752 4923

For Bankstown enquiries contact Bankstown General Practice Division on: 9793 8711

GP Liaison Midwife: Audrey Lee
Phone: 0425 230 662

Program overview

Antenatal Shared Care (ANSC) is an option of care provided collaboratively by the GP and the hospital-based services and offered to all pregnant women assessed as suitable throughout Sydney South West Area Health Service (SSWAHS).

The ANSC program is a joint initiative of:

• SSWAHS facilities of Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Hospital Mothers and Babies as well as Bankstown and Canterbury Hospitals
• Central Sydney GP Network
• Bankstown GP Division.

The program is also offered at other SSWAHS facilities: Fairfield, Liverpool, Camden and Campbelltown Hospitals in conjunction with Macarthur Division of General Practice.

GP Accreditation process

• Becoming an ANSC Accredited provider
• Maintaining ANSC Accreditation
• SSWAHS ANSC appointment consent form

Program service requirements

RPA Mothers and Babies, Bankstown and Canterbury Hospitals have restricted access by postcode for women with low risk pregnancy, the postcode areas for each facility are:

• Canterbury Hospital Postcode referral
• RPAH Postcode referral pathway
• Bankstown Hospital Maternity Unit Referral Post Codes

Information on the clinic profiles at each facility and key contact numbers are included in the ANSC resource information and contacts.

Genetics Counselling

The Fetal Medicine Unit at RPA Women and Babies will only accept women under 35 years of age for Nuchal Translucency Screening if the GP is endorsed to provide the counselling. A resource booklet is provided by SSWAHS to ANSC GPs who undergo the training.

Additional information on a range of genetic matters can be accessed from National Health and Medical Research Council - NHMRC and The Centre for Genetics Education.

ANSC Resource Manual

All information related to the program is included in this manual, hard copies or on CD are available from Di Deschamps on 8752 4923.

• ANSC Resource Manual

Program clinical requirements

A Preconception Checklist has been developed for GPs to utilise when offering advice and support to women considering pregnancy.

If a woman has difficulties early in her pregnancy she may be referred to the Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS).

All shared care providers work to an agreed uniform Revised ANSC protocol, this protocol is also available in the following community languages:

• Arabic
• Bengali
• Chinese
• English
• Khmer
• Korean
• Vietnamese

Contact can be made with RPA Women and Babies either on line or by faxing the forms found on line for:

• First Booking Visit
• Gynaecology Clinic Visit
• Maternity Booking Confrimation.

A copy of the First Antenatal Visit Appointment Form is available.

Medical Director and Best Practice template for RPA First Antenatal Visit.

Risk management guidelines

To assist in the management of the pregnant women there are a number of risk management pathways as well as advice on other issues that may arise during a women’s pregnancy, these are all included in the ANSC resource folder which is regularly updated and circulated to all accredited ANSC GPs.

Key resource documents include:

• Management of Gestational Diabetes
• Management of Iron Deficiency
• Perinatal Anxiety
• Perinatal Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol referral
• Hepatitis B

Information for patients

• Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS) Brochure for RPA Women and Babies
• Breast feeding support groups