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Minister ‘hiding the truth’ on state’s regional hospital maternity crisis

Maternity services at two Queensland regional hospitals were under threat last year as the Health Department struggled to find staff amid a Covid-19 wave, right to information documents reveal.

Apr 12, 2023, updated Apr 12, 2023
Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath  (AAP Image/Darren England)

Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath (AAP Image/Darren England)

Email correspondence obtained by the state opposition under RTI laws details efforts to find obstetrics staff for the city of Gladstone, which went on bypass in July 2022.

Attempts to procure staff from locum agencies, Mater Hospital and the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital were unsuccessful, according to an email dated July 8 between the offices of Health Minister Yvette D’Ath and Gladstone MP Glenn Butcher.

“Compounding this was emergent leave in Mackay service, whereby Mater was able to provide some cover and Metro North (Health Service) provided cover for the week in Mackay,” the email says.

“To avoid Mackay going on bypass – all services were contacted including flying obstetrics and gynaecology services for rural and remote, Townsville, Sunshine Coast (who were close to going on bypass for Gympie).

“Staffing impacts are being felt in relation to Covid across the board.”

A Covid-19 wave peaked in the state with a caseload of 1123 infections on July 26.

LNP opposition leader David Crisafulli accused the government of “deliberately hiding the truth” about maternity services in the state.

“At a time when Queensland mothers haven’t been able to give birth where they live, the Palaszczuk government was more interested in covering up the truth than restoring maternity services for Queenslanders,” Crisafulli said.

“These emails reveal the maternity crisis runs far deeper than they are prepared to admit.”

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath rejected suggestions the hospitals at Gympie and Mackay were still at risk of going on bypass, which occurs when a facility has to divert patients elsewhere.

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“Mr Crisafulli failed to tell the public … that the email was dated July last year, and actually shows that the hospitals avoided bypass because of the great efforts they took to find temporary staff,” she said on Wednesday.

“We had about 2500 staff furloughed for Covid at that time last year.”

Queensland Health on Tuesday announced further progress for birthing services at Gladstone, with options available for “no-risk” patients.

“If you have no known risks, you’ve had healthy births before, then you could be assessed as being suitable to have your baby at Gladstone,” D’Ath said.

The full resumption of low-risk services is anticipated in June after the hospital introduced round-the-clock cover for obstetric emergencies in February.

Gladstone Hospital had been on maternity bypass since July, which prevented most women in the city of 63,515 from giving birth locally unless by elective caesarean, forcing them to drive to Rockhampton instead.

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