Derby midwives reach for the sky as FIFO program takes off

Midwives from across WA are working hand-in-hand with the maternity team at Derby Health Service to boost the workforce in the remote Kimberley community.

In what’s been hailed a major success, Derby Health Service’s core workforce is being complemented by a permanent roster of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) midwives and a centralised casual pool of maternity staff.

Derby was the first site to trial the FIFO program, which was developed by the Derby maternity team led by Clinical Nurse Manager Emma Medling, and WA Country Health Service Director of Nursing and Midwifery Yvonne Bagwell.

The six-month trial went so well that the model has been made a permanent part of the hospital’s roster profile, with four dedicated FIFO Midwives working two weeks on, two weeks off.

“These midwives fly in from Perth and make up a vital part of our team,” Emma said.

“It’s been an awesome team effort that has enabled our FIFO model to be so successful; we’ve had overwhelming support at a local, regional, and central level.

“We’ve also had excellent feedback from the staff involved in the model and the women of the community.”

Emma said the FIFO model – which is now being trialled in Port Hedland and considered for Kalgoorlie – had brought more stability to the core maternity workforce and provided greater continuity of care for local women and families.

The centralised casual pool

Complementing the FIFO model in Derby is the centralised casual pool – a broader WA Country Health Service initiative designed to provide flexible workforce support across regions.

Formally called the Workforce Development Team, the centralised casual pool comprises casual clinical staff, including midwives, who are deployed based on service need.

It is coordinated by a small team of clinical nurse managers who work closely with the Derby maternity team to fill unexpected shortfalls.

Together, the centralised casual pool and FIFO models have reduced reliance on agency contracts, providing a consistent pool of experienced clinicians who are familiar with WA Country Health Service systems and standards, bringing added confidence and stability to the team.

For Emma and the rest of the Derby team, it’s been a gamechanger.

“The Workforce Deployment Team has been so supportive of Derby maternity, and we value our regular centralised casual pool midwives who are always keen to return,” Emma said.