Margaret River doctors’ plea outlines safety, legal risks with birth delivery changes at hospital

Local doctors told the Times they were uncomfortable discussing the concerns outlined in the letter except to say colleagues felt the correspondence was necessary amid uncertainty about the WA Country Health Service’s plans for the local hospital.

It was also feared any closure of obstetric services was part of a gradual shift to downgrade services in Margaret River.

Since the start of the pandemic, a series of Times reports have revealed the concerns of local doctors about the lack of funding for an existing master plan to expand the campus, now deemed crucial to meet population growth as well as increased visitor numbers.

WACHS has confirmed that master plan was a priority project, but reliant on Treasury funding.

Medicos including doctors Shaun O’Rourke and Cathy Milligan have petitioned the State Government for action, with their concerns picked up by WA Liberal Party leader and Vasse MLA Libby Mettam.

In April last year, the Times reported strident concerns from GPs that pregnant women were being “scared off” delivering at Margaret River due to the lack of intervention options, including caesarean surgery.

Figures provided to the Times revealed a shifting trend in birth numbers at the hospital.

In 2019, 38 babies were born at Margaret River, while just 23 babies were delivered this year so far.

However, 35 babies were born at the hospital last year, at the same time doctors’ concerns about a lack of intervention options were reported.

In 2020, 30 babies were born, and 29 babies were born in 2021.

WACHS said the new Midwifery Group Practice model, introduced in 2022, had “consistently demonstrated great outcomes for women and their babies”.

“It allows women and families having a baby to be cared for by a known midwife throughout their pregnancy, during labour and birth, and postnatally,” a spokesperson said.

“Since its establishment in 2022, it has seen an increase in the number of women able to birth locally.

“It’s important to note that the MGP model is not suitable for all patients and those with risk factors will continue to be closely supported to birth at Busselton or at a specialist tertiary hospital — as has always been the case.”

In their letter, doctors disagreed.

“We strongly feel it is completely unsafe to be offering women a delivery in Margaret River where there are no obstetric doctors available if anything goes wrong, and where, if the emergency department team can stabilise the patient, usually an obstetrics doctor would be in to the hospital within 20 minutes,” they said.

“In our opinion this is not an adequate standard for a hospital offering elective intrapartum care.

“We request that you consider closing elective intrapartum care at MRDH once there is no longer on-call obstetrics back-up for the safety of our mums, their babies and our staff.”

WACHS also outlined pathways to increase the region’s midwifery workforce as well as efforts to recruit obstetricians for the region.