Ingham Hospital: Opposition Leader David Crisafulli criticises cuts to birthing services

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has lambasted the State Labor Government over the temporary closure of birthing services at the hospital where he was born.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the temporary closure of birthing services at Ingham Hospital was a symptom of a wider health crisis in Queensland. Picture; Liam Kidston

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has lambasted the State Labor Government over the temporary closure of birthing services at the hospital where he was born.

The LNP leader said the health crisis confronting Queensland’s public-health sector had widened with news select maternity services at Ingham Hospital had been suspended due to critical staff shortages.

“News today that the maternity crisis has got a little deeper is a dagger in the heart of every young mum who wants to be able to give birth in the hospital, in many cases where they were born – it matters to small communities,” he said.

“To know that Ingham Hospital is the latest hospital to go on bypass shows the complete and utter failure of the government to plan and deliver services.”

Mr Crisafulli said with the imminent closure of Cairns Private Hospital birthing services by Ramsay Health Care there had been a “domino effect all the way through small regional hospitals”.

Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates in Townsville for the 30th Queensland Health Crisis Town Hall. Picture: Shae Beplate

“It’s an abject failure to plan and deliver to work with the private sector to ensure that staff in the public sector feel valued and empowered,” he said.

“To know that Ingham is back to where it was when young mums were not able to deliver babies there is deeply troubling,” he said.

Townsville Hospital and Health Service (THHS) operated Ingham Hospital today. Picture: Cameron Bates

“I was born in that hospital, my sister gave birth to my nephew in that hospital and I reckon mums in that community deserve the right to do exactly the same thing and because of the government that can’t plan things properly that is no longer the case.”

Mr Crisafulli said “where you are born matters in a small place”.

“The disconnection of having to travel to a larger place to give birth is troubling in a small community.”

He said the issue was pervasive throughout Queensland.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“Mums deserve the right to have a baby where, when and how they choose, that’s a modern, world-class health system,” he said.

“What we’ve got at the moment is a government racked with dysfunction and unable to deliver services that Queenslanders deserve.”

Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said Health Minister Shannon Fentiman “needs to stop playing games with people’s lives”.

“These are women and babies who are at risk right now across Queensland because services are not up to standard and just because you live in the bush doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have the same standard of care that you have here in the city.”

Ms Fentiman assured North Queensland women that they would still be able to receive care locally.

“The HHS is taking proactive steps to hire locum staff to fill gaps in the roster that may arise because of a staff member taking planned leave,” she said.

“If birthing services at Ingham are required to go on bypass, these would only be for temporary, short-term periods.”

She said currently, there was an average of one birth per week in Ingham, “so any short-term periods of bypass would be closely planned and communicated with any women who may be impacted”.

“Women will continue to receive antenatal and post-natal care with a midwife in Ingham, and the safety of all mothers and babies remains the number one priority.”

Townsville Hospital and Health Service CEO Kieran Keyes

Ms Fentiman said global workforce shortages were affecting maternity services around the world.

“That’s why we are investing $42m to support regional maternity services, including training 20 regional and rural GPs in advanced obstetrics, investing $16m to expand midwifery-led models of care in regional Queensland, and creating a nation-first Chief Midwife role,” she said.

“We are also offering up to $70,000 to attract healthcare workers from overseas and interstate.”

THHS chief executive Kieran Keyes said it was “exploring options” to support expectant mothers during “temporary periods of bypass” to another hospital.

“We remain in close contact with women booked to birth at the Ingham Health Service in the coming months and we will inform any impacted women about the possibility of a bypass being in place when they are due to give birth,” he said.

“During periods of temporary bypass women with low-risk pregnancies will travel to Townsville at 38 weeks in preparation for the birth of their baby at Townsville University Hospital.”

Originally published as Ingham Hospital: Opposition Leader David Crisafulli criticises cuts to birthing services