The pregnant pause affecting rural mothers in Victoria’s south west

Expectant mothers in the state’s south west have been left confused and concerned over a decision to pause some maternity services at a key hospital.

A temporary pause on maternal services at a south west Victorian hospital has sent shockwaves through communities, with many expectant mothers worried in the final trimesters of their pregnancies.

South West Healthcare’s Camperdown hospital has temporarily reduced service capability to level one, which services pre and post-natal treatment but does not accommodate planned births.

Colac and Warrnambool, which both have hospitals offering maternity services, are at least a 30 minute to hour’s drive for Camperdown residents.

The Weekly Times understands most expectant mothers booked to give birth in the Camperdown hospital discovered the “pause” in births through a statement in the local newspaper.

One expectant mother said: “I live not far from the hospital, so it made sense to have my baby there. It would be good to get some clarity soon — we only know as much as what’s been put in the local paper, so we don’t know how it affects us directly. Do we have to re-book in Warrnambool or Geelong?”

Maternity Consumer Network founder Alecia Staines said midwives from the Warrnambool and Camperdown regions were concerned if services were paused.

“The staff know they cover good service, and women want to stay in their local community,” Ms Staines said.

“Evidence-wise, we know it’s safer for having term babies, and also mortality rates. There’s no shred of evidence reducing services has made it safer for women.”

Ms Staines said retention of maternal health services should be a priority, with concerns more babies could be “born in the gravel on the side of the road”.

South West Healthcare's Camperdown hospital. Picture: Supplied

“The fallout of this is once you lose maternal services, it’s hard to get it back, and you’ll often lose surgical and decent emergency care,” Ms Staines said.

A South West Healthcare spokesperson said no decision had been made to close birthing services at Camperdown.

“Following a series of unexpected birthing events across the last week, we’ve decided to take a cautious approach and temporarily change the service capability to level 1 to allow time to investigate these events, with the intent of improving systems and communication regarding Camperdown,” the spokesperson said. 


Camperdown has reviewed and changed the capability of services “many times” in the past 12 months, the spokesperson said, “including for a 12-week period between February and May this year”.

“The current process is in no way linked to the health services reform or budgets,” the spokesperson said.

A Department of Health spokesperson said while birthing services have been paused “due to workforce challenges”, maternity services had not been cut.

A department source told The Weekly Times the hospital made the decision independently due to a “steady decline in demand for natal services”.

“There are understandable reasons behind the decision – 32 babies were born at Camperdown hospital in 2022 and that number halved in 2023,” the department source said.

“But the handling of the announcement could certainly have been handled better. There was a lack of direct communication about such a significant change to services.”