In the previous edition of O&G Magazine, I reflected on RANZCOG’s advocacy efforts over the final months of 2025 and start of 2026. The year is now well underway, and these endeavours continue unabated.

In March, the 14^th RANZCOG Council held its first meeting of the year. This provided a great opportunity for us to reflect on recent achievements, consider key issues affecting the discipline, and identify areas to increase efforts and remain accountable to our strategic priorities. Personally, the meeting also acted as a moment for me to reflect on my own “why” for being involved with the College. For me, there are countless factors: the opportunity to play a direct role in improving healthcare for women and girls, community and connection with my fellow clinicians, supporting the next generation of healthcare professionals as they embark on their training, and so much more.

This reflection spurred me to ask some of my colleagues their reasons for remaining with the College and volunteering their time and work to its many endeavours. Their responses revealed a clear trend. We all want to belong to something greater than us – a network that provides us with the tools to enact change that we are unable to in our daily practice alone.

As you read the following list of advocacy efforts the College has undertaken over the past few months, I encourage you to reflect on the ways that being a member of RANZCOG has shaped your own practice – whether it be through the knowledge you’ve acquired, connections you’ve made, or the community you’ve built.

Informed Consent

A landmark Victorian court ruling has awarded Larissa Gawthrop, trauma survivor, $275,000 in damages, after being pressured into a vaginal examination by a midwife with the implication that care, including pain relief, would be withheld if she did not consent. Importantly, the court distinguished subsequent vaginal examinations and instrumental vaginal birth as being consensual.

Informed consent is the cornerstone of safe, ethical, trauma-informed practice, forming the basis of trust between patients and their healthcare providers. This ruling should not be a polarising issue. As clinicians, it is our responsibility to foster safe environments where our patients feel heard, respected, and empowered to make informed decisions about their care.

The College is developing a consolidated binational statement by bringing together its current Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand statements on consent andasherman provision of information to patients regarding proposed treatment. I encourage you to keep an eye out for this statement in Connect, and for an episode of Talking O&G: a RANZCOG Podcast which will unpack the statement.

Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis Care

The need for further investment in pelvic pain and endometriosis care has long been a key priority for the College, bolstered by recent investigations into care in Victoria. I am immensely pleased to share that RANZCOG has been successful in securing major funding from the Australian Commonwealth Government to support development of clinical resources and initiatives aimed at improving care for women living with these often-debilitating conditions.

The government has committed a $7.45 million package to support specialist and primary care capability enhancement, among other services and initiatives. This will support both RANZCOG and RACGP in improving clinical guidance and standards and providing specialised training for O&Gs, GPs, and other multidisciplinary healthcare providers.

RANZCOG has provided a submission to the ACT Legislative Assembly’s Inquiry into endometriosis and other pelvic pain conditions. The submission outlined the College’s key recommendations, including the urgent need to:

• Capture data specific to endometriosis and other chronic pelvic pain conditions to guide planning and funding.
• Establish sustainably funded, appropriately staffed, and fully coordinated multidisciplinary public clinics.
• Work with specialist colleges and relevant professional bodies to develop and implement sustainable workforce strategies for the ACT.
• Work with relevant interest groups to address medical misogyny and gender bias through policy and system reform.

Additionally, the College has recently provided feedback on the Australian Sonographers Association (ASA) Draft Endometriosis Guidelines. As with RANZCOG’s own Australian Living Evidence Guideline: Endometriosis, the ASA guideline highlights the important role that pelvic ultrasound can have in diagnostic investigation for endometriosis, supporting the need for evidence-based clinical guidelines for sonographers. The ASA Guidelines include an Endometriosis Ultrasound Image Gallery, further supporting sonographers in the interpretation of pelvic and transvaginal ultrasounds for endometriosis diagnosis.

MBS item 55080, which covers ultrasound for complex gynaecological conditions, is currently not fit for purpose. The College is collaborating with key interest groups from other peak bodies and societies to progress this work.

While there remains much work to do in this space, these are vital steps in the right direction. I thank the members who have contributed their time and expertise to these efforts. I am eager to see this work progress as the College collaborates with government, clinicians, consumers, and key interest groups to improve outcomes for women experiencing endometriosis and persistent pelvic pain.

Asherman Syndrome

The College has supported the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in developing a consumer-focused website addressing Asherman Syndrome, based on RANZCOG’s evidence-based clinical guidance. The site outlines known associations, symptoms and impact, as well as current actions being undertaken to regulate women’s health devices which may have risk factors associated with the condition.

Alongside this consumer resource, RANZCOG has updated its clinical guidelines to recommend against the usage of sharp curettage in D&C procedures, where possible, to reduce the likelihood of developing intrauterine adhesions or Asherman Syndrome.

I advise clinicians to review the College’s resources relevant to the condition, including:

• Asherman Syndrome Patient Information Pamphlet
• Miscarriage, Recurrent Miscarriage and Ectopic Pregnancy Clinical Guideline (C-Gyn 38)
• Clinical Guideline for Abortion Care

Workforce

Conjoint Associate Professor Tania Day, RANZCOG Councillor, represented the College at the NSW Parliament inquiry hearing for the Health Services Amendment (Splitting of the Murrumbidgee Local Health District) Bill 2025. The Bill proposes splitting the Murrumbidgee Local Health District into the Murrumbidgee Local Health District and the Western Riverina Local Health District.
The district currently faces severe workforce shortages, with a critical shortfall of O&G consultants. Patients in the region experience extended wait times for specialist care, with non-urgent appointments often delayed by more than six months. The College cautions that splitting the district may further fragment care, weaken established referral pathways, and undermine existing collaboration across hospital and community settings.

Strengthening workforce is a key advocacy priority for the College, and advocating for regional districts to develop robust infrastructures that enable clinicians to relocate, live, and practice in these areas is of vital importance. I hope to further engage with the Committee to investigate practical, evidence-based workforce solutions that will support practitioners and improve access to excellent women’s healthcare.

This is just a sample of the important work the College is undertaking to amplify the voices of O&G specialists and advocate for improved care, access, and clinician support. I thank all members, trainees, and consumer advocates who lend their voices to these causes and support us in the strengthening of women’s health.