CHHHS Executive Leena Singh rejects appeal to reinstate old model of care

A Far North private obstetrician’s offer of services to the public sector in exchange for the ability to birth private patients at the Cairns Hospital has been rebuffed by the health service.

A Far North private obstetrician’s offer of services to the public sector in exchange for the ability to birth private patients at the Cairns Hospital has been rebuffed by the health service, which maintains they are well equipped to deal with the fallout from the end of birthing services at the private hospital.

With the impending closure of Cairns Private Hospital’s birthing service, obstetrician Liz Jackson said she was reluctant to return to full time work in the public system, but called for a previous practice from 2017 to be reinstated where private obstetricians had access to deliver babies in public hospitals.

Dr Anusha Lazzari plans to step away from delivering babes and will not transition into obstetrics work at Cairns (public) Hospital when the Cairns Private Hospital birthing unit closes for good next month.

In emails to Health Minister Shannon Fentiman, the department, and the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service obtained by the Cairns Post, Dr Jackson last week said permission to birth intermediate patients in Cairns or Atherton would allow her and her colleague Dr Anusha Lazzari to help Queensland Health “in multiple areas”.

“Several weeks ago, we agreed to support Thursday Island to avoid maternity bypass by agreeing to fly in and help their service,” Dr Jackson wrote.

“The hospital quickly approved scope of practice to be mutually recognised from another Queensland Health facility, which means Queensland Health does not need to employ a locum.”

She also wrote of their co-operation with Townsville University Hospital, whose permanent specialist Dr David Watson had approached herself and Dr Lazzari for assistance in his non-MFM (maternal foetal medicine) workload, which Dr Jackson said would prevent a bypass in their maternity services in the next few months.

Commercial. Dr Liz Jackson. For Cairns Post editorial, Cairns Private Hospital Specialist Services Feature.

“This will prevent the redistribution of Townsville Hospital staff who are soon to come under further pressure as the referral centre when Cairns Hospital has a 15 per cent increase in workload next month,” Dr Jackson wrote.

She proposed an intermediate model of care within Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service – at either Cairns Hospital or Atherton Hospital – effective as of November 1, 2023 - the same day Ramsay Health’s Cairns Private Hospital will cease offering maternity services.

“If the health minister and CHHHS are permitting, two documents – the mutual recognition of scope of practice and a private practice agreement – are all that stand between us and the return to the historically workable solution for intermediate birthing in a regional unit,” Dr Jackson said.

“It is possible for us to help Queensland Health both on Thursday Island and at the MFM unit in Townsville, but we seek an exchange of services that will benefit all the local Far North Queensland community.

General, generic photo of Cairns Private Hospital on Upward Street. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Namely, we are happy to continue to help Queensland Health if they will help return to an intermediate model of care within CHHHS at either Cairns Hospital or Atherton Hospital.”

CHHHS chief executive Leena Singh maintained the health service had responded adequately to all women affected by the Ramsay Healthcare decision to cease private birthing in Cairns.

“It is not the role of the health service to ensure private obstetricians are able to continue operating their private business within the public hospital infrastructure,” she said.

“All obstetricians seeking to provide care at Cairns Hospital are encouraged to apply for available positions within our Women’s Health team, including locum positions.”

Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates was in support of private practitioners delivering babies within public facilities.

“The government needs to answer why it was good enough for private OBs to assist in Cairns and other Far North Queensland hospitals in 2017, but not now,” she said.

“These emails show there are clinicians willing and able to help with the Maternity Crisis across Queensland.

“The fact they might have helped prevent the Thursday Island Maternity Ward going on bypass shows that by working together with the private sector, there are solutions available.”

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman was contacted for comment.

Originally published as CHHHS Executive Leena Singh rejects appeal to reinstate old model of care