MIDWIVES are struggling to cope with an influx of pregnant women across the west, including in Hobsons Bay and Maribyrnong, who want to give birth at Sunshine Hospital.
Victorian Health Services commissioner Beth Wilson said resource constraints at Werribee Mercy and the Royal Women’s were forcing mothers to apply to give birth in Sunshine.
She said she had received numerous complaints from western suburbs women but was unable to reveal how many had been made about services at Sunshine.
A report last year revealed more than 200 women gave birth in the emergency department at Sunshine in 2010-11 because of overcrowded birthing suites.
“The west is one of the fastest-growing districts in the world,” Ms Wilson said.
“There are new suburbs springing up and there are young people buying houses and moving in, but the health services are not keeping up with that spurt of growth.”
Western Health chief executive Alex Cockram said the hospital had been faced with a substantial increase in births, year on year.
“It’s not easy and a major impact of the increased demand is a heavy workload for our staff,” he said. “We are very aware of that and appreciate their level of commitment to providing high-quality care.”
Keilor Labor MP Natalie Hutchins called on Health Minister David Davis in Parliament last week to allocate more funding urgently to increase the number of birthing suites at Sunshine Hospital. There are 10 and the government has promised to build two more this financial year.
Australian Nursing Federation acting secretary Paul Gilbert said midwives at Sunshine Hospital were feeling the brunt of intense workloads. But he said more birthing suites alone would not solve the issue.
“We need to look at how well hospitals are utilising their capacity and whether the government’s budget cuts have reduced hospitals’ ability to roster enough staff for the current postnatal beds and birthing suites.” —Melissa Cunningham
