Lauren Ross, 31, said she was told by the hospital it didn’t have the time or staff to “see all you Milton Mums too” while she waited for a GP referred checkup. 

On Saturday morning Mrs Ross hadn’t felt her baby kick in more than 12 hours. Worried, she booked an appointment with her GP. 

“I had been feeling sick on Friday and by Saturday morning I was very unwell,” she said.

“I had reduced fetal movement, migraines, vision loss and was generally feeling unwell.” 

By noon Mrs Ross was sitting in her doctor’s office and by 2pm she was in the Emergency Department [ED] of Shoalhaven Memorial District Hospital. 

Mrs Ross’s GP advised her she might be experiencing symptoms of pre-eclampsia and wanted a specialist obstetrics review, a service not offered at Milton Ulladulla Hospital after the cessation of birthing services in July last year. 

At 33 weeks pregnant, Mrs Ross said she was “scared, nervous and worried about the baby”. 

She presented to the ED and was sent to the maternity unit where she alleges she was told the team was "under the pump" and "didn't have the time or the staffing to see all you Milton Mums too". 

Mrs Ross said she was taken for CTG monitoring and told, "You're the third woman sent here from Milton today who could have been dealt with there and didn't need to come here." 

She said she was sent back to ED, without seeing the obstetrician, where she was asked by a doctor why she hadn’t been seen. 

Mrs Ross was admitted to the ED, where she was treated for an infection, and left the hospital shortly after. 

“They made me feel like a problem and the women coming from Milton are a burden,” she said. 

“I was so upset and cried at the hospital.  

“I remember thinking, ‘This is a joke, I don’t want to have my baby in this hospital’.

“I am actually scared to have my baby there if this is how they run it.”

Mrs Ross has complained to Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District and South Coast MP Shelley Hancock. 

“They can do all of this at Milton, they now have midwives there seven days a week, so I just don’t understand why they now can’t,” she said. 

“If I can’t be seen at Milton hospital and Nowra don’t have the time or staff, then whose problem am I?

“They can spend $58 million on a new bridge, but the state government can't pay for an obstetrician at our local hospital.”

Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) executive director, clinical operations Margaret Martin said Shoalhaven hospital was capable of managing the increase in numbers of birthing mothers following the cessation of all birthing services at Milton Ulladulla Hospital last July. 

“The community can be confident Shoalhaven hospital’s maternity service is effectively managing its workload,” Ms Martin said.

“There are no issues with the hospital’s capacity to handle additional patients from the Milton-Ulladulla area.” 

Ms Martin said patients were always treated with respect and dignity when accessing hospital services and ISLHD takes patient concerns seriously. 

“The district co-director maternity and women’s health has spoken directly with Mrs Ross about her concerns and future planning for her pregnancy,” the statement said.

Mrs Martin said while CTG monitoring could be provided at Milton Ulladulla Hospital some patients need to be seen at Shoalhaven hospital. 

“Routine antenatal tests, including blood tests and CTG monitoring can be provided at Milton Ulladulla Hospital when clinically appropriate,” she said. 

“There will be occasions when women will be referred to Shoalhaven Hospital for further medical review, such as by a specialist obstetrician.

“These decisions are based on the clinical needs of individual patients.”