**4. Access to services**

Women who chose to give birth in the private sector may also sporadically require access to mental health resources within the public sector to support their care. However, questions regarding private insurance, private providers, and equity of access to community-based public postnatal mental health services have consistently been concluded and not dealt with. The formation of impending collaborative partnerships between public, private, and Non-Government Organisation service providers will be key to appropriately supporting the mental health care of postnatal women who choose to give birth in the private sector. In order to access equitable and adequate postnatal mental health care, Australian women must be able to transfer straightforwardly between a broad range of services and sectors [44].

Key mental health partner organisations working with the private sector (such as St John of God Health Care) express the possibilities for collaborative partnerships to promote the wider implementation of mental health care plans between private settings. While concern for personal privacy is undoubtedly important, the introduction of electronic health records across Australia further increases opportunities for discussion on the appropriate and timely sharing of health information. Similarly, the upholding of collaborative practices and partnerships will be crucial for ongoing and sustained change. COPE has developed a national perinatal mental health directory of services to support timely and accurate referral that is funded by the Commonwealth Government [37].
