I was not told the downs test was optional. I was just told to go and have it and given a referral to the pathology. The bill is for the test, not the apt with the ob (the bill came from vggs or something like that, related to the RCH).

With my first two pgs, I just went wherever the Dr/mws told me to go. All through a public hospital.

To see an ob here, you MUST go to one of several medical centres, the only one that has obs (and no bulk billing). They come into hospital to do their rounds of inpatients, but will not see anyone prenatal in hospital otherwise, and they do not do shared care. For ALL prenatal appointments, you MUST see the ob, the mws don't do anything. And yes, this is a public hospital.