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AAP
AAP
Health
Duncan Murray

Greens push for better pregnancy services in NSW

Greens' Amanda Cohn wants to see reproductive care made available and equitable in NSW. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

The Greens are calling for free and safe pregnancy services for women in NSW including access to abortions in all public hospitals.

Despite being decriminalised in the state three years ago, just two public hospitals in NSW offer abortions.

Advocates say that is forcing women to spend hundreds of dollars finding somewhere that will perform the procedure, making it more difficult for some to access than others.

Albury-Wodonga GP Amanda Cohn, who is running on the Greens ticket for a seat in the upper house at the March 25 election, said reproductive care is health care and should be available and equitable.

"This is about enabling choice and supporting and empowering people making the significant decision to become a parent or not," she said.

"As a GP and a provider of both abortion and antenatal care, I have looked after far too many patients who have had to shop around to find an abortion service and still travel long distances or interstate, and heard so many stories of traumatic birthing experiences."

The Greens healthcare plan includes improved access to contraception, fertility treatment, abortion, menopause care and gender-affirming care through the public health system.

With nurses and midwives crying out for better worker-to-patient ratios, the Greens want more staff on wards and meeting union demands for a 15 per cent wage increase.

The party also wants to provide parents with support from a known midwife, and backup midwife, throughout their pregnancy and birth.

Last month the coalition announced a $2000 rebate for women who freeze their eggs in NSW if it wins the election.

With egg freezing costing up to $10,000 for just one cycle, Treasurer Matt Kean said the policy would help more women access the procedure by removing some of the financial stress.

It takes the government's Affordable IVF Initiative to $80 million over the next three years to increase access to affordable fertility treatments.

Greens MP Jenny Leong said there are vocal anti-choice tendencies inside both the NSW Liberal-National coalition and Labor.

"It is critical we make sure our public healthcare system is able to deliver reproductive health care and abortions without political interference," Ms Leong said.

"The Greens are proudly pro-choice - every vote, every MP, every time."

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