Portland Hospital leaves community uncertain when birthing services will resume

There’s still no word on when birthing services will resume at a regional hosptial in southwest Victoria, leaving pregnant women in limbo.

It’s still not clear if maternity services will resume at Portland District Health, two months into a three month suspension of the hospital’s birthing suite.

A midwife shortage forced the suspension of birthing services at the regional hospital in March, with pregnant women forced to drive more than an hour to the nearest hospital to give birth.

Warrnambool News asked Portland District Health if birthing services would restart after the three month suspension.

A PDH spokesperson said — “We’ll continue working to deliver a new tailored model as soon as possible.”

In March the hospital announced it was suspending Portland’s only birthing suite for three months due to midwife shortages.

Portland District Health last week appointed rural maternity consulting specialist Fiona Faulks to create a Portland-specific maternity model.

The hospital has also hired an anaesthetist and two locum midwives who will start soon.

However PDH Chair Professor Peter Matthews said despite the new staff, PDH have not hired enough midwives to resume birthing services in the short term.

“We have reviewed whether we can resume and unfortunately, despite the new hires, the global shortage of midwives has meant that we have not been able to recruit the additional midwives we need to safely recommence our birthing services for the short term,” Mr Matthews said.

“While the recruitment for midwives continues, we are engaging with regional colleagues and partners to explore a new model tailored to our region, consistent with the recommendations of the Hillis Review.

“Ms Faulk’s appointment is another positive step forward for PDH as she is uniquely qualified to undertake this important work.”

Jessa Laws and Ben Laws newborn daughter Astrid Laws, who was born on the roadside between Portland and Warrnambool in Port Fairy last month.

Baby Astrid.

Because Portland District Health closed its birthing suite last month, Portland mother Jess Laws and her husband, Ben, were forced to deliver their baby on the roadside at Port Fairy last month.

“We were on the phone to triple-0 – the lady advised us to pull over and put our hazards on – but it wasn’t safe to do so – at that stage Astrid was starting to crown, I actually had my hand down my pants holding her in just stopping her from being born,” Jessa said.

“It was a stroke of luck we were OK. Next time, for the next woman it might not be, and that’s a horrific thing to think about.”

South West Liberal MP Roma Britnell said she was concerned with the loss of services at the Portland hospital, especially for expecting mothers.

“I spoke to a mum a couple of weeks ago when I was in Portland who’s due in July, and she was a single mum, and said ‘I’m not sure what I’ll do if they don’t open,’ Ms Britnell said.

“She’s got no option and she needs clarity during this terrible time when she’s in such an uncertain period.

A midwife shortage at Portland District Health has forced the three month suspension of maternity services.

“Communicating with the community at large I think is really important to take the community on the journey, but I’m just very concerned that they will be working with a lot less services which would be very disappointing.”

Portland Community Health Action Group member Lesley Yuill has spoken with over residents of Portland who are upset about the drop in health services at PDH.

Ms Yuill helped to collect over 2000 signatures from the Portland community for a petition. Roma Britnell tabled in parliament last month demanding the state government stop cutting critical services at Portland District Health.

“I have never been so blown away by the amount of people coming and telling their stories and they're upset,” Ms Yuill said.

“You go home and you’d be absolutely demoralised at the end of the day because of the concerns, the upset, the angst, the absolutely everything that people were experiencing with what’s going on with the hospital.

Ms Yuill said she is disappointed in the uncertainty of health services at PDH, but will fight to get the health services Portland needs.

“I'm angry, I’m upset. I’m disappointed. But I’m determined that this is going to go all the way and I’m not giving up on this,” Ms Yuill said.

The hospital closed its ophthalmology services, maternity services and had no overnight doctors or urgent care from April 23 to May 1.

PDH has not appointed an ophthalmologist despite more than 100 patients on the waiting list.

In a statement PDH said the urgent care centre was open and 24/7 registered nurses were available.

“Our Urgent Care Centre remains open, safe and effective as always – we have experienced registered nurses 24/7 and several senior doctors on call and our clinical staff are drawing on telehealth services including My Emergency Doctor where necessary,” a spokesperson said.

Last month the Health Minister Martin Foley said the hospital was having a “temporary set of challenges,” following years of staff shortages, poor education and training opportunities and “flawed” strategic planning, according to a hospital review.

“There is a temporary shortage of midwives, and that’s disproportionately the case in regional rural communities,” he said.

“I know the team is working really hard to fill vacancies, and this will be reviewed every six weeks.”