Hobart hospital shuts maternity services leaving expectant mothers without beds

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Tasmanian mothers-to-be are attempting make new plans for their upcoming births following healthscopes announcement it will close maternity services at the Hobart private hospital. One woman says the process is 'daunting' with it still unclear where the extra beds will be.

Transcript

00:00James and Anna were brought into the world at the Hobart Private Hospital.

00:07Mum, Michaela, had planned to return there in late August to give birth again.

00:12The care that I received both times with my stay at the Hobart Private was phenomenal,

00:18like from the start to finish, so supportive.

00:21Healthscope has announced it will cease operating maternity services at the private on August 20,

00:27meaning Michaela will have to make new plans.

00:30It's daunting, such a huge service closing and in such a short period of time.

00:36How are our other services going to cope with the influx of births in them?

00:41That leaves Calvary as the only other private operator in the state.

00:44It and the Royal Hobart Hospital will have to cover around 600 extra births per year.

00:50I think Calvary is very capable of stepping up to the mark.

00:54One of their biggest challenges is it's just been dumped on them, so they're scrambling.

01:00Obstetrician Dr Stephen Bradford says there's a national shortage of midwives.

01:05There is midwives training in Tasmania, but it's all done from interstate universities,

01:11so I guess it's not probably ideal.

01:15But the profitability of maternity services in the private health system remains a key issue.

01:20Hospitals say insurers are taking the profits.

01:23Insurers say medical specialists are charging higher rates.

01:27Women should be given the option of having an obstetrician and midwife shared care arrangement

01:34at a lower cost or a GP and midwife shared care arrangement.

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