I refer to Colleen Bartlett's letter to the Editor of 27 April 2017 regarding the unfortunate closure of the Midwifery Group Practice at Tamworth Hospital.
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I am the NSW Branch President of Maternity Choices Australia.
Our volunteer run organisation advocates for women's access to evidence based maternity care.
Continuity of care in any area of health leads to the best outcomes, and this is particularly the case for maternity care.
Mothers and babies who receive this form of care require less medical intervention and are more likely to survive pregnancy and birth.
It also costs health services less than conventional, fragmented maternity care that Tamworth has reverted to.
In 2010 our National Maternity Services Plan called for this form of care to be provided to all women in Australia, in line with WHO recommendations.
Sadly, only approx. 8% of Australian women have it, meaning that over 90% of women can only access fragmented care that needlessly exposes them and their babies to increased health risks.
More information is available at: www.spreaker.com/user/pregnancybirthandbeyond/making-our-maternity-care-the-best-it-ca and https://vimeo.com/212367664
Yes, Colleen, your community will indeed suffer from losing this form of care.
You did have a world leading, evidence based model of maternity care at Tamworth.
But all is not lost.
Your Local Health District is here to serve you and your community.
You can have your say by:
- making your concerns known at the LHD's feedback page at: http://www.hnehealth.nsw.gov.au/Feedback/Pages/Feedback.aspx Every complaint is read and responded to. Seek a meeting with the Chief Executive of the service to discuss your concerns
– letting other women and families know of your concerns, and forming a community group, like "Friends of HNE Birthing Services" or "Friends of Tamworth Birth Services" (say, in Facebook) and campaign for the reinstatement of the service
- contacting us here at Maternity Choices Australia for more support
- engaging your local media to raise the issue further within the community
- contacting your local MPs to get their support, as well as the NSW and Commonwealth Health Ministers.
The National Maternity Services Plan is being reviewed right now and they need to hear from women about the importance of providing continuity of maternity care.
Two years ago I was involved in a similar campaign to reinstate birthing services at Murwillumbah.
It took a lot of community action with local media support, but it was very worthwhile - we saw it reopened just 5 months later.
More at "Friends of Murwillumbah Birth Centre" in Facebook.
When the women speak up, they can move mountains!
Sally Cusack
Maternity Choices Australia
NSW Branch President
