Australia’s first five-star, private maternity hospital could change the face of maternity services.

The Cradle, based in Melbourne, not only offers luxury hotel-style accommodation but also boasts 24-hour care with a team of in-house specialists, midwives and theatre staff.

The Cradle’s nursing and midwifery director Jo Bell said intra partum emergencies were often unpredictable and time critical.

"At The Cradle, an obstetrician, anaesthetist and paediatrician will be onsite in the hospital around the clock to support the midwives in the event of an obstetric emergency," she said.

The Cradle is integrated with the 30-bed private Healthbridge Hawthorn Private Hospital as well as pathology, imaging and other related services.

Dedicated theatres adjoin birthing suites and it is also equipped with a high dependency unit and a level two nursery.

Ms Bell said the founders of The Cradle hoped to develop and manage private maternity facilities across the country in both city and regional areas.

"The Cradle will become the preferred provider of maternity services in Australia, and the preferred employer of maternity health care professionals," she said.

Ms Bell said problems were rife throughout the provision of maternity services in Victoria due to rapid population growth, the baby boom and lack of infrastructure.

And she said Australia was experiencing a critical shortage of midwives.

"It is clear that neither the current private or public models of maternity care are equipped to meet the future demand for maternity services."

Ms Bell said workforce surveys showed many qualified midwives were leaving the service, dissatisfied with the current models of care.

"Some midwives feel that their skills are undervalued and under-utilised, and they would welcome the opportunity to take on greater clinical responsibility," she said.

The Cradle will offer midwives the opportunity to enhance their skills and take part in all aspects of maternity care, Ms Bell said.