NSW’s Shadow Health Minister Walt Secord and South Coast Labor candidate Annette Alldrick would not commit to restoring birthing services at Milton Ulladulla Hospital.
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However, Mr Secord said concerns about birthing services in the Milton-Ulladulla region had been heard loud and clear”.
It has been more than two years since maternity services were stopped at the hospital. Level 1 services, which include post and pre natal care were returned a year ago.
Level two services, which allow non-complicated, natural births will be restored once an obstetrician is hired.
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Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Board has been advertising for an obstetrician at Milton-Ulladulla Hospital since December.
“There is concern about safety, going into labour and having to go to Shoalhaven Hospital,” Mr Secord said while he was in Milton to support Labor’s pledge of improved nurse-to-patient ratios.
“One of the very first issues [Annette] raised with me is maternity services at this hospital.
“Now I’m not going to make a commitment today on this, but ... I’ve received representations from the community and Annette has also made strong representations.”
Mrs Alldrick said she was aware of a proposition to have a “group midwifery practice” to restore birthing services to Milton.
“That’s a huge ask, in that we have to quite a number of midwives, you have to have GP, obstetricians available, but let’s hope that that can happen,” Mrs Alldrick said.
Midwifery group practices enable women to be cared for by the same midwife and supported by a small group of midwives throughout their pregnancy, during childbirth and in the early weeks at home.
