Calvary Lenah Valley Hospital plans to deliver extra 600 babies a year, with demand set to spike

Amid a crisis in maternity services, a Hobart hospital has vowed to deliver an additional 600 babies every year and supercharge its birthing unit. SEE THE PLAN >>>

Calvary Lenah Valley Hospital is boosting its maternity services to meet an anticipated spike in demand. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

Calvary Lenah Valley Hospital is set to deliver an additional 600 babies each year as it prepares to meet an anticipated spike in demand from expecting mums.

It comes three months after Healthscope, which recently went into receivership, announced maternity services at Hobart Private Hospital would be shuttered.

This sparked a warning from the Australian Medical Association that public hospitals would not be able to cope with the influx of patients who otherwise would have utilised the private services.

Calvary Lenah Valley Hospital is boosting its maternity services to meet an anticipated spike in demand.

The federal government agreed to hand over $6m to the Tasmanian government to support the expected increase in demand for maternity services across both the public and private hospital systems.

Calvary Lenah Valley Hospital vowed to expand its birthing unit in response to the looming service gap and has since been tweaking infrastructure, upgrading equipment, and appointing extra medical and nursing staff to prepare for the change.

The existing delivery suite at Calvary has been refurbished, while other modifications have been made to the reconfigured maternity ward, including a new special care nursery.

Additional birthing beds, monitors, and other critical infrastructure are also on order, according to Calvary Health Care.

Four new clinicians will begin working at Calvary on Sunday in order to support the hospital’s supercharged maternity services.

Calvary Lenah Valley Hospital is boosting its maternity services to meet an anticipated spike in demand. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

Calvary Health Care regional chief executive officer Tasmania, Melissa Evans, said the Lenah Valley hospital was planning to accommodate an extra 600 deliveries each year, on top of the 350 babies it already delivered.

“The goal is to complete the transition by August 20, enabling a smooth process to being the only private maternity provider in Tasmania by 28 August,” she said.

“We want to reassure all Hobart residents that Calvary Lenah Valley Hospital will be ready for the anticipated increase in deliveries across the next few months.”

Ms Evans said two obstetricians would commence as visiting medical officers from June 10, along with several midwives who will be joining the maternity team.

Calvary Lenah Valley Hospital general manager, Michael Mitchell, welcomed the arrival of the new staff, saying some of them had worked there previously.

“We offer a warm welcome to both those returning and the new members of our team,” he said.

“Our senior staff have collaborated on the details to make sure every expectant mum seeking private obstetric care from the end of August in Hobart has the support and services they need.”

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian branch acting secretary Phoebe Mansell said she was “grateful” that Calvary had “jumped in to assist with providing further private beds”.

“However, I guess it’s unknown yet whether that will be enough to fill the market gap,” she said.

Originally published as Calvary Lenah Valley Hospital plans to deliver extra 600 babies a year, with demand set to spike