Tamworth Hospital general manager Catharine Death acknowledged that “the service provided by the community program is valued by the midwives and the community.”

“I look forward to it returning to full capacity when we are assured we can provide a quality and safe community-based service,” Dr Death said.

While the hospital has recently employed two new midwives for the maternity ward, and “recruitment of additional midwives for the CMP is underway, President of the NSW branch of Maternity Choices Australia, Sally Cusack, has questioned why it was allowed to get to this point.

Recently Mrs Cusack helped get the CMP restored at Murwillumbah Hospital, and said there were striking similarities between the current hiatus in Tamworth, and the original closure in Murwullimbah.

“The 2010 Federal Government’s National Maternity Plan recommended that every mother have access to an MVP, in accordance with the International Gold Standards of Practice, set out by the World Health Organisation,” Mrs Cusack said. Sadly only eight per cent do have access because it takes so long for those recommendations to flow through to the State Government and into the health systems.”

“In order to earn their accreditation hospitals have to prove to the government that they are partnered with the community in decision making – sadly they are not engaging with the community.” 

Head of Obstetrics Dr Keith Hollebone said there is an issue getting midwives to come west of “the great limestone curtain”, and while that may be true, Mrs Cusack believes more should have been done.

“Universities all teach CMP and most of the midwives are desperate to find that work but can’t,” Mrs Cusack said. You can’t tell me that Broken Hill can get midwives and Tamworth can’t.”