Nepean Hospital is not coping with a sharp rise in births and Sydney West Area Health Service (SWAHS) hospitals are facing an infection crisis, a public health inquiry has heard.
Midwives gave evidence at the Nepean Hospital session of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Acute Care Services in NSW Public Hospitals on April 8. An official transcript of the session was not posted on the inquiry’s web site at the time of the going to press.
But reports in the Sydney Morning Herald on April 9 reveal an increase of 500
births in the past year at Nepean Hospital, forcing midwives to work double shifts despite already being under so much pressure they often went home in tears.
Nepean Hospital is the facility that Blue Mountains mothers are routinely sent to for high risk births, as Katoomba Hospita can only cater for low to moderate risk deliveries. It was made known to the inquiry that there is only an on-call anaesthetist and obstetrician at Katoomba Hospital.
The Herald reported that outside the inquiry, Katoomba Hospital midwife Sally-Anne Brown said Katoomba Hospital serviced 80,000 women, including patients from Lithgow where there was no maternity unit at all.
"We often work double shifts or get called in to fill in for shifts," she said.
A clinical nurse specialist and midwife for 25 years, Janet Long, told the inquiry Nepean's maternity department was short by 35 hours every day in midwives for the theatre suite.
The inquiry was informed by head of microbiology at Nepean Hospital, James Branley, that SWAHS' estimate of $6 million spent per year on treating patients who caught an infection in hospital was "very conservative."
He said fewer than 10 per cent of patients were screened for infections.
The inquiry will continue being heard at NSW hospitals and report back on July 31.
Under the terms of reference of the inquiry, it will cover any systemic or institutional issues raised in submissions that special commissioner Peter Garling SC receives and considers appropriate to inquire into.
Blue Mountains Hospital Equity and Access Lobby (HEAL) spokesperson Janet Mays told the Gazette a 24-page submission was sent by the group to the inquiry.
"It points out that SWAHS has not disclosed to the Blue Mountains community exactly what is intended under the current hospital review," Ms Mays said.
"HEAL is of the view that it is inequitable and unreasonable to Mountains residents that adequate and purpose built hospitals in the area are being progressively downsized so as to support the development of specialist services in the Sydney basin."
Visit www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/acsinquiry to access inquiry session transcripts.
NSW shadow health minister Jillian Skinner will tour the Blue Mountains on April 22.