[ozmidwifery] National tally of local Maternity Units/ midwifery services closed??

[Denise Hynd]

Dear All, Sounds like the  (medical ) bureacrats in Victoria are doing the same rationalisation or closer of smaller units where doctors do not want to go or the output is below a n arbitary level? Correct me if I am wrong so far the losses/threats  are??   This is  proposed in; 1) WA via the "Cohen" Report" which recommends the closure Woodside, Bentley & Kalamunda. Though this report has been "shelved" letters coming out of the Minister's office says they are going to "Implement Cohen"?  Previously Mandurah and Swan Districts have had their Birth Centres Closed. Swan Districts maternity unit has been kept open by the govt paying the local Obs several thousand/day to cover healthy women!! 2) NSW  the GMTT recommended the closure of at least  Katoomba (done as the obs and anaestheisits won't go theree!) , Shellharbor, Ryde, Manly, Gosford&/Wyong.   Previously Shelharbor or Bulli had a birth centre which moved to Wollongong then closed? Camden birth centre has been closed then re-opened after MC demo aainst the Premier when they bought in Obs and anesthetists were paid special deals to come there . Most recently when the aneathetist left primips were stop and then re-allowed primips to birth there after more public demos!! Katoomba was closed and promised to be re-opened as a midwife led unit after demos nearly 2 years ago, is yet to re-open??   Ryde and possibly Manly are to continue as midwife-led units thanks to the efforts of Prof Sally Tracy (UTS) hopefully to start this year.   Previously Nepean has lost their birth centre, Liverpool its Team midwifery project   3) Closure of Moorabin birth centre moving women to Clayton where the replacemnt birth centre is incomplete.   4) Closure of Beaudesert maternity unit as doctors will not go there?   5) SA closure of (?) QE woodville   6) NT their homebirth service   Denise Hynd           ----- Original Message ----- From: Diane Gardner To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2004 3:15 AM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] closure of Moorabin birth centre (Melbourne) I didn't know the Moorabbin Birthing centre was closing. That is disgusting. First Clayton and now Moorabbin. Who are the smart powers of be who think they know more about birthing than the people who need those facilities.   What are they doing? Birthing in corridors for goodness sake. Is it becoming that birth is just another shoof em in and shoof em out event, NEXT? Next thing you know they will just be mixed in with the general hospital poplation. Not so unlikely now is it?   This makes it even more important to put women back in charge of their birthing so THEY will denote what they want. For goodness sake!!!!!   And we wonder why so many women are now turning back to home births. Who can blame them.   Diane