Alpine Health has launched its Myrtleford Community Antenatal Care Clinic, which will operate on Thursdays by appointment, in collaboration with Northeast Health Wangaratta.

Alpine Health's maternity and newborn services coordinator Andrea Herrin said the service was "incredibly important" and would save the region's soon-to-be mothers a trip to Wangaratta or Wodonga to receive the same care.

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"It's going to make a huge difference for some women who don't drive, for example," she said.

"There's quite a few women who don't drive actually, it's quite surprising, so they rely on their partners taking time off work or friends taking them to the antenatal clinic."

Ms Herrin said it also meant the mothers could start connecting with Myrtleford midwives during pregnancy, instead of from after their birth, and that it was an opportunity for the midwives to use their pregnancy skills as well as post-birth skills.

"There's a lot of staff shortages in health and midwifery, so were hoping that by working with Northeast Health Wangaratta that it helps share the load a little bit too," she said.

A recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report found that the proportion of mothers accessing antenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy had steadily increased over time from 63 per cent in 2012 to 79 per cent in 2020.

However, a lower proportion of mothers who lived in Remote (74 per cent) and Very remote (71 per cent) areas accessed antenatal care in the first trimester.

Ms Herrin said the Myrtleford clinic was improving access for those mothers to receive the important care.

"There's a bit of information around care that's provided closer to home, there's some research around that shows there are better outcomes for mothers and babies and families too, so hopefully its a win win for everyone," she said.

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