Many local doctors (General Practitioners, or 'GP's') provide pregnancy care. In the past (before insurance costs escalated in Australia) they would also attend uncomplicated births in the maternity hospital (especially in rural areas). Local doctors attending births is not all that common these days. However, pregnancy care by GP's is fairly widespread, mainly in the form of 'shared care' with other maternity services at public hospitals.
Shared care with a local doctor provides an option for women to have some of their pregnancy care with their GP and some visits at the hospital's antenatal clinic (or midwives' clinic or birth centre). There are also a few women's health services that provide a similar arrangement. For example, you may be able to see a doctor or midwife at your local family planning clinic or women's health service for your pregnancy visits, and attend the local hospital for the birth.
Essentially, shared care with a local doctor is usually an option for women who have no pre-existing health conditions (such as
diabetes) and whose pregnancies are progressing relatively normally with one baby (no
twins or more). The local doctor would seek advice from an obstetric registrar or consultant at the hospital you are booked into if there were any health concerns or if complications arose. If complications do develop (such as
high blood pressure,
bleeding during pregnancy or the labour starting
prematurely - before 37 weeks) then the woman's care will most likely be transferred from the shared care arrangement to the doctors in the hospital's antenatal clinic. Policies and guidelines for what is acceptable for care by local doctors will vary from hospital to hospital.
Shared care can be a convenient option for women who have a good relationship with their local doctor and find travelling to the hospital difficult (especially if they have other children).