‘This cannot continue’: Midwives fear for safety of mums, babies

Queensland midwives are demanding the introduction of ratios to ensure mothers and babies are counted as separate patients and safe workload standards are put in place.

Queensland midwives are individually looking after 18 mothers and their newborns in one shift, four times the recommended safe workload, an audit of the state’s maternity units has revealed.

The Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union investigated staffing ratios at 40 of the state’s public and private hospitals and the shock findings have the union fearing for the safety of mothers and babies.

Acting QNMU strategic midwifery policy and research officer Rebecca Rooney said under the existing federal government system, the majority of babies born in Queensland hospitals were not classified or counted as additional patients alongside mothers.

Ms Rooney, a practising midwife, said more midwives were needed to bolster maternity workforces, but also the commonwealth funding model for maternity care, which determines how patients are classified, needed urgent change.

The state’s midwives are individually looking after 18 mothers and their newborns in one shift, four times the recommended safe workload, an audit says. Picture: iStock

The commonwealth is guided by federal legislation that has remained unchanged since 1973.

“The QNMU is determined to make change on behalf of Queensland mothers, babies, families and those who care for them,” Ms Rooney said.

“We know Queensland midwives are deeply concerned, distressed and experiencing exhaustion and burnout as a result of unsafe workloads and concern for those in their care.

“This cannot continue.”

The QNMU’s Count the Babies campaign is demanding the introduction of midwifery ratios, such as those outlined in Safe Workloads in Midwifery standards, to ensure mothers and babies are counted as separate patients and safe workload standards put in place.

The standards are one midwife to two babies and two mothers or 1:4, and a total of one midwife to three babies and three mothers or 1:6

“The QNMU’s Count the Babies audit has revealed single midwives are being allocated up to 18 babies and mothers at a time,” assistant secretary Kate Veach said.

QNMU assistant secretary Kate Veach. Picture: Brad Fleet

“That’s more than four times the safe minimum standards outlined in the QNMU’s Safe Workloads in Midwifery standards.

“This is dangerous and cannot continue. Australia’s outdated maternity funding system is putting mothers, babies and midwives at risk.”

The QNMU’s audit found that 27 per cent of midwives handed over up to 16 babies and mothers at the end of a shift, 34 per cent handed over more than eight and seven per cent up to 18.

One in five of the midwives was looking after babies that were born prematurely.

More than 50 per cent of the women had caesareans. More than 60 per cent of the babies were not counted as patients.

The federal Health Department said they were unable to make the deadline on this issue.

Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates said the patient-to-midwife ratio blowout was another maternity fail.

Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates. Picture: Tara Croser

“The atrocities in Mackay Hospital, the investigation at Caboolture Hospital and the closure of services in places like Gladstone and Chinchilla are directly impacting Queensland lives,” she said.

“The list of maternity service failures across Queenslanders is getting longer and women and families expecting a child are rightly nervous about that.”

A Queensland Health spokesman said that since 2015, the state’s nursing and midwifery workforce has grown by 10,167, a 33.6 per cent increase.

“Our workforce is supported by minimum nurse-to-patient ratios to help them do their jobs safely and effectively,” the spokesman said.

“Prescribed adult medical, surgical and mental-health wards in public health facilities are required to maintain a minimum of one nurse to every four patients for a morning and afternoon shift (1:4) and one nurse for every seven patients for a night shift (1:7).

“This is across all Queensland hospitals in acute areas.

‘’Minimum nurse-to-patient ratios are helping us deliver world-class health care that is safe and sustainable.”