Gladstone maternity crisis: Health Minister Yvette D’Ath to meet mothers after 300 days pass since closure

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has vowed to meet with Gladstone mothers after she was a no-show at a meeting to mark 300 days since the city’s maternity ward went on bypass, while a doctor hired to help restore the service has taken a job elsewhere.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has vowed to meet with Gladstone mothers after she was a no-show at their meeting this week to mark 300 days since the region’s maternity ward went on bypass.

Ms D’Ath had blamed prearranged commitments in her Redcliffe electorate for not attending the gathering on Thursday, but by Friday she was prepared to commit to an in-person meeting.

Her promise to meet with the mothers came as she revealed one of the doctors who had been hired as part of the government plans to restore maternity services in Gladstone had already moved on.

The Minister on Friday said the government was still committed to restoring services by the middle of the year, as she confirmed she would travel to Gladstone to meet with the mothers.

When asked when she would make the trip to the region, Ms D’Ath said she would need to check her diary to find an available time.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath. Picture Lachie Millard

“There’s not going to be a media circus,” the Minister said.

“I will sit down and I will totally meet with these women and talk about and hear from them what their issues are.

“This isn’t a stunt for me. My job is to deliver high-quality care and I want to meet with these women and not make it a political issue.”

Ms D’Ath said she could not make the meeting on Thursday because of commitments in her electorate and ministerial responsibilities in Brisbane.

“But let’s be clear, we know what the problem is. It’s a shortage of obstetricians and gynaecologists,” she said.

“My job is to get on and make sure that we’re doing everything possible to get that staff. That’s what I owe these women.”

Save Gladstone Maternity Ward advocate, Jemma Manwaring. Picture: Nilsson Jones

Jemma Manwaring, the organiser of the Save Gladstone Maternity Ward community event, said the Health Minister’s absence was felt by mothers who have lived through the maternity bypass.

“Many of the mums that attended the gathering in Gladstone on Thursday had harrowing stories,” she said.

“All they want is to be heard by the decision makers.

“It’s a human issue. No one was planning to nail the Minister down for instant resolutions.

“We understand the problems but we need to know that all is being done to bring services back as soon as is possible and a plan put into action to make sure bypass never returns.”

Ms D’Ath said an international doctor who had been offered and accepted a role as part of plans to restore services in Gladstone had since taken another job elsewhere.

The group of supporters at the Save Gladstone Maternity community rally on May 5 at Lions Park.

The Minister said she asked the Hospital and Health Service to do an exit interview with the doctor to find out why.

“We need to understand why,” she said.

“But there is a lot of competition out there. I won’t say which state or territory managed to poach them off us.”