Maternity Birthing facilities needed at Milton Ulladulla Hospital

17/08/2022

How many local families were forced to make the trip out of their own community to give birth? Margot Mains removed birthing services from the Milton Hospital in 2016. Reason given by CEO Margot Mains there would be insufficient demand. So six years has passed, how many births were there?

All birthing services have been ceased at Milton-Ulladulla Hospital a statement from Illawarra Shoalhaven Health District has confirmed.

26/05/2022

12/05/2021

27/11/2020

As we head towards 5 years since we opened this Page to Save the Birthing Services @ Milton Ulladulla Hospital it is with regret I inform our followers that we are no further to that goal. It was a shared vision that as Community representatives we collected 10,000 plus signatures from local residents, we attended many, many meetings, always working towards the return of Birthing to our local Hospital. The Milton Ulladulla Hospital Maternity Steering Committee was formed where we regularly presented & provided input to the ISLHD Board, the policy changes & recommendations needed that would bring birthing back to our local women, In the early years we worked towards that goal & how best make it happen. We acknowledge the ISLHD advertised for clinicians, however could not attract one candidate for the position, another professional was needed, who was willing to practice their specialty to provide ongoing support to our one local professional to meet the criteria of NSW Health Birthing Services in hospitals at the Level of care birthing was both safe & sustainable. That requirement had to be met to bring birthing back to the required Level 3 our community needed & wanted. As Community Representative I continued to attend the meetings, proud that many advances were achieved & put in place at the local Midwifery clinic, both services & education at Milton Ulladulla Hospital Clinic continued to grow, mostly due to demand driving those successes. The Milton Ulladulla Communities preferred Model of Care original vision, a GP led local Birthing Services Level of Care Practice idea however seemed to become further out of reach as each year passed, rewarded only by the successes the local Midwifery services continued to grow in leaps & bounds, thanks to the dedication from local midwives & local GP’s who continue to support local families . At this months meeting it was decided to take future Midwifery Care Implementation Committee meetings to Nowra for Shoalhaven Hospital Clinicians & Midwives to advance the Continuity of Care there. I believed it was time to step aside as that was not the outcome I nor the 10,000 + residents who signed the original petition wanted their community representative to support. It is hoped in the future Milton Ulladulla Hospital will receive the full support of ISLHD & nothing less to actually bring about the return of birthing services to our own local community hospital instead of making our expectant women & families commute to Nowra to give birth.

05/09/2020

CWA Awareness Week begins today and this year, we're using this week to call for domestic violence to be recognised as a “national emergency”.

“This Awareness Week we’re sending the message that we can all help make a difference if we stand together and make the safety of everyone in our community our top priority,” State President, Stephanie Stanhope said.

For those in need of assistance, 1800RESPECT is the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service, which can be contacted on 1800 737 732.

https://www.cwaofnsw.org.au/article.php?group_id=2050&id=6

26/05/2019

https://www.9news.com.au/national/news-australia-brisbane-mum-birth-trauma-from-maternity-care-newborn-health-advice/be2789b1-58ff-473a-8e54-c2a0304e7a41

‘I started shaking’: This mum’s birthing story is one of too many.

03/05/2019

Applications for another great rural health experience are now open to nursing, midwifery and medical students!

The Bush Bursaries and CWA Scholarships offer a $1,500 scholarship and a two week rural placement in country NSW. Thanks to the Country Women's Association (CWA) of NSW and involved NSW rural Councils for supporting this program.

Applications close 5pm 27 May AEST. Check your eligibility here: www.nswrdn.com.au/bbcwa

05/04/2019

Shoalhaven maternity services to expand

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has outlined its plan to deliver an enhanced maternity service in the Shoalhaven, giving local families access to a new midwifery led model of care.

It comes following an extensive review of local maternity services by the Milton Ulladulla Hospital Maternity Model of Care Working Group, which was formed to develop a safe, long-term and sustainable service for local women. It took into account local challenges, including the impact of a shortage of obstetric clinicians.

The plan for a Networked Midwifery Service across the Shoalhaven was outlined at a community forum in Milton this week, highlighting how the service will benefit local families over the next few years.

Two midwifery groups will be introduced, servicing northern and southern Shoalhaven areas, with first steps in the expansion commencing in the next six to nine months. Antenatal care will be provided at a local clinic with a named primary and secondary midwife for women in both the Milton Ulladulla and Nowra regions. This means all women will have access to a known midwife for their antenatal and postnatal care.

Clinical Midwife Consultant, Jane Griffith, told the forum this model will build capacity with the aim to introduce Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) across both sites.

“With MGP, each woman is allocated two midwives who provide her antenatal and postnatal care; one is on call for her labour and birth. All women will birth at Shoalhaven hospital in first instance, with plans to introduce birthing at Milton-Ulladulla Hospital for low risk women if possible after safety and workforce requirements are in place,” she said.

ISLHD Chief Executive, Margot Mains, said she was pleased a safe and practical service plan has been achieved.

“With birth rates in the Shoalhaven remaining steady, this model of care provides women with the safest and most sustainable level of maternity services for the region.

“Midwifery Group Practice provides continuity of care throughout pregnancy and is considered the gold standard of midwifery care. Research points to improved outcomes for mums and babies and greater job satisfaction for midwives. An MGP model will also provide the best platform for returning low-risk birthing services to Milton, should that be possible in the future, she said.

An MGP service offering midwifery care across the full scope of maternity care will occur within 12-18 months in the southern Shoalhaven, starting with women in the Milton-Ulladulla area and then expanding. MGP will commence in northern Shoalhaven within 18-24 months.

“Thanks to the terrific work of the committee, including local community representatives, who have worked tirelessly alongside our clinicians to ensure we are on track to develop the most appropriate services for birthing women in the Shoalhaven well into the future,” Ms Mains concluded.
Enquiries
ISLHD-Communications@health.nsw.gov.au
www.islhd.health.nsw.gov.au

29/11/2018

A review of the NSW Health Towards Normal Birth in NSW policy is underway. Part of this review includes feedback from women and their partners about what they value and what aspects of maternity care are important to them.

A short online consumer survey was released it can be accessed from the NSW Health website at: www.health.nsw.gov.au/maternity-policy-review

We have attached the flyer which outlines the survey details; it is open to women and their partners who have been pregnant or had a baby in the last ten years, or are thinking of starting a family soon.

We are hoping you could share the survey widely through your own local networks; it would be fantastic to get as much input as possible from all local women and their partners in all of the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and outlying areas who would benefit from having Birthing not just back in Milton Ulladulla Hospital but all regional and rural areas.

The survey will be open until Friday 9 November 2019.

Thank you for your assistance and support,

Bec & Sunnee

https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.health.nsw.gov.au%2Fmaternity-policy-review&data=02%7C01%7C%7C5bb370df4c37423c676b08d6388389e3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636758535777078562&sdata=NC8ejdVqMWcH2xzUSICgjpPklgFJpEPgQ0%2Fpu82xAd8%3D&reserved=0

The Towards Normal Birth in NSW policy is currently under review. The updated policy document will support high quality maternity care and meet the needs of women and their families.