The NSW Government is moving to introduce Safe Staffing Levels in dedicated postnatal wards at Campbelltown and Liverpool hospitals, part of a broader rollout across seven major NSW maternity sites aimed at improving care for new mothers, babies and families.
The other hospitals are Nepean, John Hunter, Royal Prince Alfred, Westmead and Royal Hospital for Women.
The reform will be mapped out by the Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce, bringing together NSW Health, local health districts and the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association to determine workforce needs in each ward.
It marks another step in what the government says is the biggest workforce shake-up in NSW Health history, alongside a pledge to deliver 2,480 additional full-time nurses and midwives in key clinical areas.
Health Minister Ryan Park said the changes are about backing exhausted frontline staff while lifting care for families at a critical moment.
“By beginning the process of implementing Safe Staffing Levels in dedicated postnatal wards, we are providing support to our hardworking midwives that aims to provide a better experience for women and their families,” he said.
The announcement also comes with the appointment of Donna Garland as NSW Health’s first Chief Midwife, a role created in response to the NSW Birth Trauma Inquiry.
Garland, a long-time leader in maternity care and former general manager of the Royal Hospital for Women, will help drive more respectful, trauma-informed and culturally safe care across the system.
Women’s Minister Jodie Harrison said the move goes to the heart of maternity care.
“Women’s health is a key priority for the Minns Labor Government and this is an important step in making sure that women – and their newborns – receive the crucial care they need at one of the most significant time in their lives,” she said.
Locally, the decision has been welcomed on both sides of the region. Campbelltown MP Greg Warren called it “a wonderful announcement for our Campbelltown Community,” while Liverpool MP Charishma Kaliyanda said it was “fantastic news for my community and the hardworking staff in the postnatal ward at Liverpool Hospital.”
With $83 million committed in the 2025–26 NSW Budget for maternity care, family care centres and maternal vaccination, the government is pitching the reform as part of a long-term investment in a health system under pressure and one where the first days of life matter most.
