It is the end of an era as much-loved local doctors David Harwood and Stephen Morris retire from being on call for the Parkes Maternity Unit. In a letter to the editor Dr Harwood penned the following:
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To the expectant mothers of the Parkes area and their partners,
As of the end of January I retired from obstetric and anaesthetic on-call duties at the Parkes District Hospital after 40 years of medical practice, 39 years of which have been devoted to rural and remote patient care.
However, I will continue to provide shared antenatal care consultations to support Dr Stephen Morris and any other obstetric doctors who may settle in town, the midwives, the referral specialist obstetricians and the locum obstetric GPs who have been recruited to support birthing in Parkes.
I look forward to enjoying the privilege of antenatal and postnatal care for those patients who are happy to have me provide that ling between family medical practice care and the in-hospital obstetric care.
I will also continue to provide routing anaesthetic support for the surgeons who visit out town and hospital for regular operating lists.
I intend to continue my GP role into the foreseeable future although my long-suffering wife and family anticipate we will have much more flexibility and time for pursuing other interests and holidays.
Yours truly in the joy of caring for mums to be and new babies.
