Baby deliveries resume in Portland

20 January 2010

BY TIANA RAY

PORTLAND District Health’s maternity services are back up and running after a new maternity consultant and two midwives were recruited by the hospital.

The consultant and one of the midwives started earlier this week and the other midwife is to start by mid-February.

PDH director of nursing Jo Lowday said the midwifery services at the hospital were back to level two services, which meant low-risk births could be performed, with high-risk births continuing to be transferred to larger hospitals in the south-west.

Level two services ceased at PDH at the end of October after unexpected long-term staff illness, and the hospital had been operating as a level one service, which meant midwives could care for pregnant women before birth, and for mothers and babies after the birth.

“The service has been resumed because we now have adequate staff, low-risk births can be performed at PDH at the discretion of a woman’s doctor,” Ms Lowday said.

PDH were now waiting for the maternity services team to be finalised at the hospital before it starts to look at revitalising the maternity services model, which will be lead by maternity consultant Wendy Buckland, who was recruited from Wangaratta.

Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) acting state secretary Paul Gilbert said the ANF had requested to be involved with developing a new model of care, but was yet to receive a response from PDH.

“ANF has requested to be involved in discussion with Portland hospital, with the intention to develop a model of care which meets the needs of consumers and staff at Portland hospital, that is both safe and sustainable,” Mr Gilbert said.

He said some of the requests pre-date the current administration and there had been a number of difficulties at Portland with recruitment and retention of midwives, more so than other regional health services.

Ms Lowday was unconcerned by Mr Gilbert’s comments in regard to the ANF being involved in looking at PDH’s model of care, and said the local branch of ANF would be involved.

“I spoke to the ANF’s Julianne Barclay on Friday and I am in constant contact with the ANF,” Ms Lowday said.

“I have a really good working relationship with Julianne and when we sit down to look at the model of care she will have a seat at the table.”

Ms Lowday said she didn’t know who Paul Gilbert was and said the ANF would be involved when it came to revitalising the new model of care.