Incentivising better patient safety

Our 2025-26 IBPS program includes four key areas of focus:

Focus area 1: Multidisciplinary maternity emergency training

This focus area includes:

• theoretical learning
• drill training
• face-to-face simulation with at least two maternity emergency scenarios.

Focus area 2: Fetal surveillance

This focus area includes:

• every two years
  • completing a face-to-face training and gain a practitioner level 2, or greater
• every other year
  • completing an online fetal surveillance education;
    and
  • completing a minimum two hours of interactive CTG training led by a senior clinician with a level 3 practitioner gained in the past two years
• during the training year at least 80% of clinical shifts to have access to a senior clinician with a practitioner level 3, gained within the past two training years.

Focus area 3: Neonatal resuscitation

This focus area includes:

• training first responders, defined by each hospital
• theoretical learning aligned with Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR) guidelines
• providing practical education or individually assessing practical competency in first response skills.

Focus area 4: Operative Vaginal Birth (OVB) Safety Bundle

This focus area is designed to improve safety, communication, and the overall birth experience for women, babies, and their support people during instrumental births.

Key components of the OVB Safety Bundle:

• bedside ultrasound before OVB
• a routine structured team time-out
• safety checklist
• birth experience pathway.

You’ll find all you need to know about the Safety Bundle at Operative Vaginal Birth Safety Bundle.

Maternity services level 2 and 3:

• Receive a 5% refund of your obstetric premium with a minimum of $24,200 (including GST and stamp duty) when you attest that 80% or more of birth suite clinicians have received training in the focus areas 1, 2 and 3, outlined in the training criteria.

Maternity services level 4 to 6:

• Receive a 3% refund of your obstetric premium with a minimum of $24,200 (including GST and stamp duty) when you attest that 80% or more of birth suite clinicians have received training in the focus areas 1, 2 and 3, outlined in the training criteria.

• Receive an additional 2% refund of your obstetric premium when you’ve started to implement the OVB Safety Bundle (focus area 4).

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As part of our IBPS 2025-26 criteria, only level 4 to 6 maternity services are required to have begun implementing the OVB Safety Bundle at the time of attestation (September 2026) to receive the full IBPS refund. Level 2 and 3 maternity services aren’t required to attest to the Safety Bundle.

For more information on implementing the Safety Bundle in your hospital, including for level 2 and 3 maternity services, please contact Monash Health at saferbirthingcoe@monashhealth.org.