Royal Aust & NZ College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists RANZCOG

Royal Aust & NZ College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists RANZCOG Advocate for women's healthcare across AUS & NZ. Advocates on women’s health issues across Australia and New Zealand.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) is the leading standards body responsible for the training and education of specialists and GP obstetricians in obstetrics and gynaecology in Australia and New Zealand. It is committed to the establishment and maintenance of the highest possible standards of practice in women’s health and provides programs in training, accreditation and continuing professional development (CPD) that are responsive to the evolving health care needs of women. As such, the RANZCOG:

Sets the individual curricula, training programs and assessments to ensure that those graduating have the essential attributes and key competencies expected for clinical competency and effective practice as a medical practitioner, specialist or subspecialist within the chosen scope of practice. Provides advice to Federal and jurisdictional Government committees and other organisations. Develops best practice advice on issues relating to obstetrics and gynaecology offered in a range of formats including Patient Information Pamphlets and College Statements, Clinical Practice Guidelines, Positions and Communiques. Supports and develops educational initiatives, programs and resources for health professionals in Indigenous women’s health and those in Asia and the Pacific. Provides a CPD program facilitating training, continuing education, peer review and life-long learning. Supports research and advocacy for women’s health by forging productive relationships with individuals, the community and professional organisations, both locally and internationally. RANZCOG has approximately 5,500 members in Australia and New Zealand and internationally.

Systemic gender bias in the Australian healthcare system means women and pregnant people are paying more for maternity c...
16/11/2025

Systemic gender bias in the Australian healthcare system means women and pregnant people are paying more for maternity care whilst their choices are diminishing amidst continuing closures of private maternity units.

🔍 Swipe through for an overview of the key issues.

Today, RANZCOG is convening key stakeholders — including the Assistant Minister for Health, the Hon Rebecca White MP, government, women with lived experience, private hospitals, service providers and other organisations with an interest in private maternity care — for the 𝙍𝘼𝙉𝙕𝘾𝙊𝙂 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣'𝙨 𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 - 𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙊𝙗𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙍𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, seeking to develop actionable solutions for the private healthcare crisis. This work builds on the first roundtable held in 2024.

RANZCOG remains committed to advocating for urgent systemic reform that supports access, choice and sustainability across both public and private maternity care.

Read more on the College's website: https://ranzcog.edu.au/news/gender-bias-maternity-care/

15/11/2025

The latest episode of Talking O&G: A RANZCOG Podcast is now available. Host Dr Heather Waterfall is joined by internationally renowned endometriosis expert A/ Prof Mathew Leonardi, who shares his insights.

Mathew weighs in on the benefits and limitations of ultrasound for first-line diagnosis, how MRI compares, recommendations for laparoscopy as a surgical intervention, and much more!

🎧 Listen or watch now on your preferred streaming platform (Apple, Spotify or YouTube) and learn more at: https://ranzcog.edu.au/podcast/

14/11/2025

This week, RANZCOG's Board, Council and key committees gathered in Melbourne for the final Council Week of 2025 and the first meeting of the 14th Council.

Council Week is a key moment in the College calendar — a time for significant discussion, planning and decision-making to shape the future of the O&G specialty. Members can expect more information in Monday’s Connect newsletter. The College extends its sincere gratitude to all members who have taken the time to contribute their expertise, and acknowledges the dedication of the many committees and working groups meeting before, during and after Council Week.

🎥 Hear from RANZCOG President Dr Nisha Khot as she reflects on this week and the work ahead.

From 2026, there will be opportunities for members (up to one member per jurisdiction) to attend Council Week online as observers. This process will be by EOI.

RANZCOG is pleased to welcome the incoming Board, Council, committees and working groups for the next term, and looks forward to continued collaboration over the years ahead.

12/11/2025

Yesterday, the South Australian Parliament voted against proposed restrictions on abortion after 22 weeks and six days.
 
✅ RANZCOG strongly supports this outcome, which upholds evidence-based care and protects the right of pregnant people to make these deeply personal medical decisions in consultation with their doctors.
 
As RANZCOG President Dr Nisha Khot and SA/NT State and Territory Committee Chair Dr Heather Waterfall discuss, this decision affirms the importance of safeguarding access to essential healthcare, maintaining trust in the medical profession and prioritising patient welfare over political motive.
 
💬 Watch to hear their reflections on what this outcome means for reproductive healthcare in South Australia.

RANZCOG has recently refreshed and updated a suite of Patient Information Pamphlets (PIPs) in alignment with the latest ...
07/11/2025

RANZCOG has recently refreshed and updated a suite of Patient Information Pamphlets (PIPs) in alignment with the latest clinical guidelines, ensuring consistency in support and information provided.

The eight updated pamphlets cover:
📄 Asherman Syndrome
📄 Birth After Caesarean
📄 Cervical Screening
📄 Contraception
📄 Ectopic Pregnancy
📄 Hysteroscopy
📄 Miscarriage
📄 Vasa Praevia

Explore and download the full range of PIPs on the RANZCOG website: https://ranzcog.edu.au/womens-health/patient-information/

Members are encouraged to check their clinical web pages to ensure the most recent versions are made available.

RANZCOG is pleased to release the fifth edition of the C-Obs 1 Intrapartum Fetal Surveillance (IFS) Clinical Guideline.T...
05/11/2025

RANZCOG is pleased to release the fifth edition of the C-Obs 1 Intrapartum Fetal Surveillance (IFS) Clinical Guideline.

This new edition provides updated evidence-based guidance for health care professionals to optimise safe clinical practice in labour and reduce adverse perinatal outcomes. The College thanks all members of the guideline development group for their valuable contributions to this work.

Read the full guideline on the RANZCOG website:
https://ranzcog.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/Intrapartum-Fetal-Surveillance.pdf

In light of several recent tragedies linked to freebirth, RANZCOG and the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) are urgin...
02/11/2025

In light of several recent tragedies linked to freebirth, RANZCOG and the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) are urging Commonwealth, state, and territory health ministers to introduce laws like those in South Australia under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (South Australia) (Restricted Birthing Practices) Amendment Act 2013.

These laws would ensure that only registered midwives and doctors manage labour and childbirth.

Freebirth is the practice of giving birth without a registered healthcare professional, such as a midwife or doctor, present. It is different from a homebirth, which is planned and supported by a registered healthcare provider. The absence of appropriate clinical support during freebirth has led to preventable harm and loss of life.

Adopting this legal framework across Australia would help keep birthing women and people, and their babies, safe. It would also strengthen professional accountability and clarify the roles and responsibilities of obstetricians, GP obstetricians, and midwives.

Read the full statement on the RANZCOG and ACM websites: https://ranzcog.edu.au/news/ranzcog-acm-call-on-health-ministers-to-end-freebirth-deaths/

02/11/2025

Preeclampsia is an uncommon yet high-risk condition – especially when it develops early in pregnancy. In this episode of Talking O&G: A RANZCOG Podcast, host Associate Professor Scott White is joined by Professor Amanda Henry and Associate Professor Daniel Rolnik to unpack RANZCOG’s Early Pregnancy Screening and Prevention of Preterm Preeclampsia Guideline.

This discussion explores why the guideline was updated, how first-trimester screening improves detection of preeclampsia and practical steps for clinicians. Topics include individualised risk assessment, the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) first-trimester algorithm and the use of aspirin for risk reduction. The guests also discuss equity and access, including barriers faced in rural/remote settings, out-of-pocket costs and culturally competent care for First Nations and Māori patients.

🎧 Listen or watch now via your preferred streaming platform.
https://ranzcog.edu.au/podcast/

Pregnancy loss is a profoundly devastating experience that deserves compassion and care, not political commentary. Feder...
31/10/2025

Pregnancy loss is a profoundly devastating experience that deserves compassion and care, not political commentary.

Federal Parliament is currently debating ‘Priya’s Law’ – an amendment to the Fair Work Act that would protect employer-funded paid parental leave for parents of a child who is stillborn or dies.

Recent media discussion has seen some MPs seek to exclude families who undergo later abortion from this parental leave entitlement, politicising experiences that are already profoundly complex and distressing.

As RANZCOG President Dr Nisha Khot shared on ABC Radio, “a loss of a baby is a loss of a baby.” Abortions carried out later in pregnancy are almost always due to severe medical or fetal complications, and should be met with the same sensitivity as other types of pregnancy loss.

The College stands in full support of the ‘Priya’s Law’ Bill and its intent: that all parents who experience the loss of a baby should have access to leave and support.

Good news! 👏From tomorrow, new government funding will improve access to long acting reversible contraceptives (LARCS).T...
30/10/2025

Good news! 👏
From tomorrow, new government funding will improve access to long acting reversible contraceptives (LARCS).

These changes include:
✔️ Increased MBS rebates for IUD and hormonal implant procedures
✔️ NuvaRing added to the PBS

Last year, RANZCOG advocated to the MBS Review Advisory Committee in support of these items being included in the women’s health funding package — helping to make these updates a reality.

The College welcomes this investment in contraception access and affordability, and continues to advocate for free contraception for all Australians, as recommended in its 2025/26 Pre-Budget Submission.

These updates represent an important step towards equitable, affordable access to a full range of contraceptive options – empowering women and people who can become pregnant to choose what works best for them.

30/10/2025

This week, RANZCOG's Obstetrics and Gynaecgology Education and Training (OGET) Program held a session in Broome.

The OGET Project connects regional hospitals (“hubs”) to smaller rural and remote units and services (“spokes”), to provide multidisciplinary education and training through realistic, case-based learning and simulation training.

The impact of OGET has been tangible, producing more confident, better-connected teams capable of providing a wider range of obstetric and gynaecological services, and managing emergencies locally, reducing the need for costly and stressful patient transfers to tertiary centres hundreds of kilometres away.

For clinicians on the ground opportunities to refresh and expand their skills onsite locally are invaluable. Since its inception in June 2022, the commonwealth-funded Project has expanded to include twelve hub sites across Australia, supporting over 50 rural and remote hospitals!

Learn more at: https://ranzcog.edu.au/womens-health/rural-health/oget-project/

A new chapter begins. 💫On the final day of the 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting in Adelaide, RANZCOG officially welcomed D...
29/10/2025

A new chapter begins. 💫

On the final day of the 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting in Adelaide, RANZCOG officially welcomed Dr Nisha Khot as its new President, as well as several new members of the Board.

In her address, Dr Khot reflected on the College’s strong foundations and the legacy of outgoing President Dr Gillian Gibson, acknowledging her dedicated leadership over the past two years.

An advocate for equity and inclusion in women’s healthcare, Dr Khot begins her presidency term with a vision for greater unity, adaptability and collaboration across the College and wider profession of O&G.

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The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) is the leading standards body responsible for the training and education of specialists and GP obstetricians in obstetrics and gynaecology in Australia and New Zealand.

RANZCOG is committed to the establishment and maintenance of the highest possible standards of practice in women’s health and provides programs in training, accreditation and continuing professional development (CPD) that are responsive to the evolving healthcare needs of women.

RANZCOG supports research into women’s health and acts as an advocate for women’s healthcare by forging productive relationships with individuals, the community and professional organisations, both locally and internationally.

Our mission is to influence the standard of care delivered to our community through education and training, advocacy and policy development.