Maternity unit still a no go after six years

Six years on Parkes is still no closer to seeing its maternity unit reopened. Its closure in June 2019 continues to frustrate the community, families and Parkes Shire Council, who have been tirelessly lobbying government to reinstate the service ever since. Because of a lack of obstetricians, Parkes mums have been forced to travel elsewhere to give birth - to Forbes, but only if they're low risk, and to Orange and Dubbo. Parkes was promised a midwifery-led birthing model would take its place at the hospital, with NSW Health going as far as declaring they would start accepting birthing mums from, initially August 2020, then it was moved to March 2021. No model was ever introduced. In a message issued to the public last month, Parkes Shire Mayor Neil Westcott asked if it was time for Parkes Hospital to standalone. "We are constantly reassured that Parkes maternity reinstatement is high on the agenda of NSW Health, however after years and years, we do not seem to be any closer," he said. "When the Parkes and Forbes hospitals were being built, core services were to be retained and some services shared, such as chemotherapy and dialysis. "Unfortunately what has transpired is a deterioration of services in Parkes. "We now see maternity and pathology for example moved entirely to Forbes. That is not sharing, that is consolidating services to the detriment of Parkes. "Forbes has every right to have these services but likewise, so does Parkes." The mayor suggested if the hospitals were further apart "our communities would be fully serviced, and we would not be faced with splitting services between the towns". "Is it time to seriously consider the benefits of operating Parkes Hospital and Forbes Hospital as standalone entities, rather than shared as part of the Lachlan Health Service? He asked. "Surely both Parkes and Forbes deserve their own dedicated healthcare services, like other towns of comparable size." Cr Westcott's message followed a meeting he and Deputy Mayor Marg Applebee had with the Minister for Health Ryan Park in March to once again fight for maternity services for Parkes. "Maternity services across the state are in crisis," Cr Westcott said. He said he was heartened to hear the NSW Government has agreed to develop an action plan to tackle NSW’s rural and regional obstetrics crisis, after rural health campaigner and independent Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr raised the issue in a Public Interest Debate in parliament in February. Dr McGirr called on the government to restore, maintain and grow rural and regional obstetric services, and to deliver the action plan by the end of the year to ensure that networked obstetric services provide care as close to home as possible for rural and regional women and families. "I am aware of at least 15 birthing services in rural and regional communities that have closed in the past decade or so," Dr McGirr said at the time. "At least another six birthing centres are facing closure, downgrades or bypasses." During the debate Shadow Minister for Regional Health Gurmesh Singh said since 1990 born-before-arrival births have doubled in northern NSW and tripled in western NSW, and recent cuts have further deepened the crisis. Maternity services have ceased in Muswellbrook, Parkes, Cootamundra, Milton, Ulladulla and Woy Woy. "Meanwhile communities like Gunnedah, Glen Innes and Kempsey are witnessing a reduction in essential services," Mr Singh said. "In places like Kempsey mothers can often be transferred to a neighbouring hospital without their babies. I cannot imagine the stress and trauma that that brings to both mother and baby." Cr Westcott said an action plan is certainly needed. The topic of health services in Parkes, focusing on maternity, was also raised during Parkes Shire Council's February monthly meeting. In his Mayoral Minutes tabled at the meeting, Cr Westcott said: "There seems to be very little in the way of new approaches to solving this vexing problem, just constant reiteration of the problem. "That is, 'we have tried to recruit but we cannot get anyone'. "One can only imagine how that might sit in our own circumstance if Council took that approach," he said. "That is, we cannot collect the waste because we cannot recruit truck drivers, we cannot supply water because we cannot recruit water plant operators, we cannot grade roads because we cannot recruit grader drivers - it would simply not be accepted, nor would we or have we allowed this to happen. "It does however require great effort, for example the constant training and nurturing of people into these roles. "We know there is a shortage, it was foreseen well before 2019 when maternity closed." Parkes Shire Council made several representations to NSW Health encouraging a succession plan to be developed, Cr Westcott said. "But there was no response and maternity inevitably closed. "It is not one government or another, the problem has persisted for a decade. "Somehow, we must encourage the government of the day to invest in the future, otherwise regional health outcomes will continue to plumet." During this meeting councillors agreed to continue lobbying all levels of government on five issues related to and impacting Parkes, such as: * Address the declining health services in regional NSW. * Develop expeditious methods to recruit and accredit immigrating doctors and other health professionals. * Activate the Parkes Health Precinct masterplan. * Provide accommodation for doctors and other health professionals in the Parkes Health Precinct. * Support the training of health professionals by the provision of a training HUB at the Parkes Health precinct. "We will wait and see the results of the called-for "action plan", and in the meanwhile continue to fight for improved services for the Parkes Shire," Cr Westcott said.