Confidence grows after funding announcement and a session on maternity services at the Cairns Convention Centre

The main problem with obstetric services in the regions, according to GP obstetrician Matt Masel, is attracting professionals to work remotely.

Barriers to attracting health specialists to the regions – including adequate funding – need to be addressed to reverse the decline of maternity services in rural Queensland.

Dr Matt Masel attended a plenary session at the Cairns Convention Centre on Saturday, on the future of Queensland’s rural maternity medical workforce.

The plenary session was part of the Rural Doctors Association of Queensland’s 33rd annual conference, Medicine in the Extreme.

Speakers at the plenary session on Saturday, addressing the matter of shortfalls in the rural and remote maternity medical workforce in Queensland. The plenary session was part of the Rural Doctors Association of Queensland’s 33rd annual conference, Medicine in the Extreme. From left are Dr Jerry Alex, Dr Clare Walker, Dr Katrina Vogler, Dr Mike Hurley, and Ms Davina Nunan. Picture: Supplied

“Currently there aren’t enough rural generalist GPs who also do obstetric medicine, and we need to be encouraging more,” he said.

The session, he said, identified three stumbling blocks to attracting specialists the regions need: the challenge of moving or being “dislocated” from home, the nature of the work in the regions such as long hours and less back up than in larger centres, and thirdly, that “things can go wrong quickly in a quite serious way”.

“It can be challenging work,” he said.

“The onus is more on the doctor and smaller teams.

“We talked about the importance of rural women knowing the people looking after them and knowing that midwives and doctors are working together with mutual respect, and that is the norm.

“But we know that doesn’t always happen.

“Trust needs to be developed over time, and (for women) the continuity of knowing who your health care providers are is important.

“There is a funding shortfall as well. In order to provide that sort of service you need adequate funding so that people can have adequate leave for staff to provide relief for each other.”

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman at Cairns Hospital on Thursday. Picture: Annette Dew

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman’s announcement on Friday of $42m more for maternity services for women in rural and remote communities over the next four years to expand rural and regional birthing services is cause for optimism among some attendees.

CEO of Health Consumers Queensland Melissa Fox attended the session and she said she was excited by the session and the future of rural and regional maternity services.

“I’m feeling positive with a minister who has demonstrated a passion and commitment around women’s health services in general and supporting rural maternity services,” she said after the session.

“I’m really excited (Ms Fentiman) has the political will and the passion to create the conditions for the right people to come together to get rural maternity services closer to home for families.”

Ms Fox referred to a “postcode lottery”, as to whether women and families can get the care they require both during pregnancy and adequate care afterwards.

“And that includes whether they can birth close to home and whether they’ll have a known caregiver with them,” she said.

“That’s really hard for people who live rurally, having people there that pregnant women know and trust.

“Twenty years ago, the Re-birthing Report talked about women needing care that is safe, and feels safe, and that comes from having trusted providers.

“There are risks in travelling long distances, risks in fragmented care, care that’s not local, or care that is not culturally safe, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mums.

“They may need support from Aboriginal midwives and Aboriginal health care workers.”

The main issues for women in the regions are attracting enough specialist medical obstetric workers, which has flow-on effects for women and families getting he adequate care they need. Picture: Shutterstock

Friday’s funding announcement is earmarked for expanding outreach in obstetric and gynaecology services to support women living in rural and regional Queensland, allowing them to give birth closer to home.

It is aimed at reducing their need to travel to larger centres and to support their health and mental wellbeing.

Dr Masel said extra funding was needed to encourage more professionals to the regions

“There was a stack of new young doctors at the conference,” he said.

“What we need to know is that when they get there, will they have adequate relief and not be overburdened.”

Originally published as Confidence grows after funding announcement and a session on maternity services at the Cairns Convention Centre