[ozmidwifery] Interesting article about declining rural birthing services
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20063886-2,00.html# Mum-to-be travels 2000km to give birth By Liza Kappelle August 08, 2006 08:15pm Article from: AAP Font size: + - Send this article: Print Email A MUM-to-be has been shunted more than 2000km around Western Australia for somewhere to have her baby.Kirsti Sweetman, 24, eventually gave birth to a boy in a Perth hospital on Sunday night after being turned away by two hospitals a long way north in WA's Pilbara region. She initially went to her local hospital at Tom Price, 1556km north of Perth, on Saturday, after her waters broke four weeks early. But she was not in labour and the hospital wasn't equipped to induce pregnancies, said her stepfather Steve Turner. The flying doctor was called and Kirsti was taken another 360km further north to Port Hedland hospital while her anxious partner, Tony Bassett, 27, and their three-year-old daughter Imogen followed by road. Mr Turner said he and his wife Teresa Kirsti's mum also drove to Port Hedland for the birth only to be told when they got there Kirsti would have to go to Perth. It is understood the doctors in Port Hedland thought it would be safer for her to have the baby induced in Perth. Mr Turner, however, said he believed it was because the hospital was flat out. She got to Port Hedland and they couldn't handle her cause they were too busy, he said. By now it was late, so Kirsti spent the night in the Port Hedland hospital before being flown to a Perth hospital the next morning. They induced her that night and her partner had to fly out there on a commercial flight while my wife and I brought the cars back, Mr Turner said. Mr Bassett described Kirsti's ordeal as very traumatic. The thought of missing the birth of my son, Tarkyn, that was the worst, Mr Bassett said. And the last thing that Kirsti wanted to do was go though it on her own. Mr Turner said he believed the family was shunted around because the government was stripping services out of rural and regional areas. They are taking all our services away in the country and putting them in the cities, he said. But the news on the new bub couldn't be better. Mr Bassett said his son was growing stronger by the hour and he hoped he'd soon be able to take his family back home another 1556km trip. Pilbara Health Service regional director Patrik Mellberg said Tom Price Hospital did not have the facilities to manage high-risk deliveries and a local GP had made the decision to send Ms Sweetman to the Port Headland regional hospital via the Royal Flying Doctor Service free of charge. Upon arrival at Port Hedland it was assessed that due to the patient's condition and available capacity at the hospital, it would be necessary to fly her to Perth free of charge again, for reasons of clinical safety, Mr Mellberg said. The patient was under constant medical supervision.
Re: [ozmidwifery] Interesting article about declining rural birthing services
way too familiar to me after having worked in the Kimberley for the past 3 years. It is awful how the "necessity"of being shipped out is worded to these women. It is one of the reasons that I left there. Cath - Original Message - From: Helen and Graham To: ozmidwifery Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 11:27 PM Subject: [Norton AntiSpam] [ozmidwifery] Interesting article about declining rural birthing services http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20063886-2,00.html# Mum-to-be travels 2000km to give birth By Liza Kappelle August 08, 2006 08:15pm Article from: AAP Font size: + - Send this article: Print Email A MUM-to-be has been shunted more than 2000km around Western Australia for somewhere to have her baby.Kirsti Sweetman, 24, eventually gave birth to a boy in a Perth hospital on Sunday night after being turned away by two hospitals a long way north in WA's Pilbara region. She initially went to her local hospital at Tom Price, 1556km north of Perth, on Saturday, after her waters broke four weeks early. But she was not in labour and the hospital wasn't equipped to induce pregnancies, said her stepfather Steve Turner. The flying doctor was called and Kirsti was taken another 360km further north to Port Hedland hospital while her anxious partner, Tony Bassett, 27, and their three-year-old daughter Imogen followed by road. Mr Turner said he and his wife Teresa Kirsti's mum also drove to Port Hedland for the birth only to be told when they got there Kirsti would have to go to Perth. It is understood the doctors in Port Hedland thought it would be safer for her to have the baby induced in Perth. Mr Turner, however, said he believed it was because the hospital was flat out. She got to Port Hedland and they couldn't handle her cause they were too busy, he said. By now it was late, so Kirsti spent the night in the Port Hedland hospital before being flown to a Perth hospital the next morning. They induced her that night and her partner had to fly out there on a commercial flight while my wife and I brought the cars back, Mr Turner said. Mr Bassett described Kirsti's ordeal as very traumatic. The thought of missing the birth of my son, Tarkyn, that was the worst, Mr Bassett said. And the last thing that Kirsti wanted to do was go though it on her own. Mr Turner said he believed the family was shunted around because the government was stripping services out of rural and regional areas. They are taking all our services away in the country and putting them in the cities, he said. But the news on the new bub couldn't be better. Mr Bassett said his son was growing stronger by the hour and he hoped he'd soon be able to take his family back home another 1556km trip. Pilbara Health Service regional director Patrik Mellberg said Tom Price Hospital did not have the facilities to manage high-risk deliveries and a local GP had made the decision to send Ms Sweetman to the Port Headland regional hospital via the Royal Flying Doctor Service free of charge. Upon arrival at Port Hedland it was assessed that due to the patient's condition and available capacity at the hospital, it would be necessary to fly her to Perth free of charge again, for reasons of clinical safety, Mr Mellberg said. The patient was under constant medical supervision.
Re: [ozmidwifery] Interesting article about declining rural birthing services
Tom Price Hosp seems to accept very few birthing women. My friend was sent toPerth for being over 35! Another deemed unacceptable high risk because she was birthing her 6th child! And another because she was attempting VBAC. The GP tried to put the fear of god knows what into each of these women and succeeded with their partners :( Jayne - Original Message - From: Helen and Graham To: ozmidwifery Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 11:27 PM Subject: [ozmidwifery] Interesting article about declining rural birthing services http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20063886-2,00.html# Mum-to-be travels 2000km to give birth By Liza Kappelle August 08, 2006 08:15pm Article from: AAP Font size: + - Send this article: Print Email A MUM-to-be has been shunted more than 2000km around Western Australia for somewhere to have her baby.Kirsti Sweetman, 24, eventually gave birth to a boy in a Perth hospital on Sunday night after being turned away by two hospitals a long way north in WA's Pilbara region. She initially went to her local hospital at Tom Price, 1556km north of Perth, on Saturday, after her waters broke four weeks early. But she was not in labour and the hospital wasn't equipped to induce pregnancies, said her stepfather Steve Turner. The flying doctor was called and Kirsti was taken another 360km further north to Port Hedland hospital while her anxious partner, Tony Bassett, 27, and their three-year-old daughter Imogen followed by road. Mr Turner said he and his wife Teresa Kirsti's mum also drove to Port Hedland for the birth only to be told when they got there Kirsti would have to go to Perth. It is understood the doctors in Port Hedland thought it would be safer for her to have the baby induced in Perth. Mr Turner, however, said he believed it was because the hospital was flat out. She got to Port Hedland and they couldn't handle her cause they were too busy, he said. By now it was late, so Kirsti spent the night in the Port Hedland hospital before being flown to a Perth hospital the next morning. They induced her that night and her partner had to fly out there on a commercial flight while my wife and I brought the cars back, Mr Turner said. Mr Bassett described Kirsti's ordeal as very traumatic. The thought of missing the birth of my son, Tarkyn, that was the worst, Mr Bassett said. And the last thing that Kirsti wanted to do was go though it on her own. Mr Turner said he believed the family was shunted around because the government was stripping services out of rural and regional areas. They are taking all our services away in the country and putting them in the cities, he said. But the news on the new bub couldn't be better. Mr Bassett said his son was growing stronger by the hour and he hoped he'd soon be able to take his family back home another 1556km trip. Pilbara Health Service regional director Patrik Mellberg said Tom Price Hospital did not have the facilities to manage high-risk deliveries and a local GP had made the decision to send Ms Sweetman to the Port Headland regional hospital via the Royal Flying Doctor Service free of charge. Upon arrival at Port Hedland it was assessed that due to the patient's condition and available capacity at the hospital, it would be necessary to fly her to Perth free of charge again, for reasons of clinical safety, Mr Mellberg said. The patient was under constant medical supervision.
