Cairns Private Hospital responds to maternity service closure rumours

A perfect mix of resignations, retirements and staff shortages have this Cairns health service’s maternity service in a race against time to ensure it can remain operational. What the experts say.

A MAJOR Cairns health provider is in a race against time to ensure it can maintain its services for expecting parents, as one of its most experienced doctors outlines his retirement date.

Cairns Private Hospital’s maternity ward and obstetrics unit is feeling the pressure of a workforce shortage with reports it is at times relying on doctors who are primarily based at the public hospital.

Although hospital staff have quashed rumours that the health service’s maternity ward or obstetrics unit was set to shut down, it has been undermanned and rebuilding since losing highly experienced doctor Tom Wright, who died in February.

One of Dr Wright’s longest friends and colleagues, and current private hospital paediatrician Dr Tim Warnock addressed concerns saying he had been assured the obstetric unit would continue to function as is.

“I think the rumour mill often looks at things. Dr Tom Wright has been a huge loss for the unit, we’ve had to do a lot of adjustments without him,” Dr Warnock said.

Paediatrician Dr Tim Warnock and late obstetrician Dr Tom Wright. Dr Warnock has dismissed rumours the private hospital’s maternity unit would close following Dr Wright’s death.

But the veteran doctor, who said he was just one of about 14 paediatricians in Cairns, revealed he was set to retire in July 2023 and the hospital was on the hunt for more specialists.

“There’s a staffing issue. I’m basically the only paediatrician that can provide full support to the hospital — full hours during the week.

“So we’ve had a lot of locums for paediatrics; we hope to get a new doctor starting next year.

“My feelings are that I have been given word that the obstetrics unit will continue, and we’re trying to recruit both obstetricians and paediatricians to provide 24/7 cover.”

The Cairns Private Hospital has dismissed concerns it is set to close its maternity unit.

Cairns Private Hospital chief executive Ben Tooth acknowledged the shortage of health staff, which included just four obstetricians at the hospital, but said its maternity service wouldn’t close.

“Like many industries, healthcare providers across the country are facing workforce shortages including nurses, obstetricians and paediatrics,” Mr Tooth said.

“We currently have full medical cover for our maternity service, and are excited to have recently welcomed a new obstetrician to our team.”

Birds of Paradise Women’s Health Clinic’s Dr Liz Jackson, who ceased delivering at the private hospital in May, said while recruiting regional specialists was a challenge in all health services, she had recently expanded her clinic.

Birds of Paradise Women’s Health Clinic’s Dr Liz Jackson says her workload in relation to obstetrics had increased by 20 per cent recently.

Dr Jackson said her clinic’s workload had increased by about 20 per cent recently.

“It’s hard to pick one cause in particular. I feel that some people in the wake of the pandemic are seeking more personalised care,” she said.

“Also unfortunately due to Covid again, the pressures on the public system are immense and well-known at this time and therefore there’s been a back flow into the private sector.

“As a private obstetrics clinic we’ve expanded from one to three obstetricians, so my thoughts are if we can do it (recruitment is possible in Cairns).

Cairns MP Michael Healy said he had not been made aware of any potential reduction of services at the private hospital.

“In the (state) budget that was announced, we’re expanding the (public) emergency department … but we also work in conjunction with the private hospital. So if the private hospital was to make changes, we would have to react to that,” he said.

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service’s executive director Cairns services Marie Kelly said respiratory conditions including influenza and Covid-19 had added to significant pressures on the service’s staff resulting in periodically reduced staffing within maternity and paediatric services.

First-time mum recounts maternity experience

FAR Northern mums are anxious about their pregnancies as s mother who recently gave birth recounts her experiences with under pressure healthcare staff.

First-time Cairns mum Vivienne Frisch gave berth to her daughter Valerie Rose Shelby late July at Cairns Hospital.

Ms Frisch said she felt anxious about her maternity berth due to her understanding of the pressures the health system was enduring due to the pandemic.

“I’m not sure if it was the pressure they (hospital obstetricians and midwives) were under, but it all felt rushed, I didn’t have an appointment that lasted longer than 20 minutes,” she said.

“The midwives were really gentle, they were fantastic, but it was a different midwife every time.

“With my first couple home visit appointments, they apologised and said they were too short staffed and we had to do them over the phone.

“There was just heightened anxiety because of Covid, but I know first-time mums are freaking out because they have questions, and you think the experience is going to be really interpersonal, but it all seems so rushed.”

Originally published as Cairns Private Hospital responds to maternity service closure rumours