Queensland Health insists expectant mothers can have confidence in the state's maternity care after a peak medical group claimed patient safety was at risk due to the "sidelining" of obstetricians.
The Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMAQ) on Wednesday raised concerns about a trend of midwife-only care during pregnancy and birth in public hospitals.
Obstetrician and AMA spokesman Dr Gino Pecoraro suggested the government initiative was partially in place to lower costs.
"I think it's very, very important that the women and families of Queensland can have faith in the system that is trusted to look after them," Dr Pecoraro said.
But Dr John Wakefield, the deputy director-general of Queensland Health's Clinical Excellence Division, said the state's maternal and neonatal outcomes were excellent by both Australian and international standards.
"We are continually reviewing how we provide care as new evidence comes to light," he said.
In highlighting the problem, the AMAQ pointed to a report on the Rockhampton Base Hospital which revealed four serious incidents last year, including the death of a baby.
AMAQ President Dr Chris Zappala called for a new multi-disciplinary model whereby every single mother is reviewed by an obstetrician upon entry into a labour suite and reviewed at least every four hours during labour.
Dr Wakefield said the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) had "very clear guidelines for consultation and referral that are endorsed by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists".
He added: "Midwives and obstetricians, working together, play a vital and valued role in the delivery of over 60,000 babies in Queensland each year."
The ACM has previously dismissed concerns that midwife-led care leads to increased adverse patient outcomes as "an outrageous, sweeping political statement" and questioned what evidence it was based on.
The AMAQ said statistics showed a near-doubling of the perinatal mortality rate under midwifery-led care when compared to obstetrician-led teams.
"The current exclusion of obstetricians is in no one's best interest," Dr Zappala said.
