Back to the news that the maternity ward at St John of God Hospital Bunbury is to close next month due to chronic staff shortages and a decline in those accessing private health services.
Opposition Leader Shane Love has just held a press conference where he says the closure is the result of a “disastrous situation” that has been allowed to develop under the Labor government.
St John of God Bunbury Hospital maternity unit to close next month.Credit: SJOG
“What we're seeing in regional WA is a crisis in the provision of midwifery and nursing services and that's because of a serious shortage of staff,” she said.
“This is something that hasn't just exploded recently, it's been a long time, and we've seen an increasing use of agency staff, who are generally paid at a higher rate than full-time staff. , which now it is feeding other service providers like St Johns who are struggling to find staff.”
Australian Nursing Federation state secretary Janet Reah said the closure of the Bunbury maternity ward was not an isolated incident, with WA wards closing or reducing services due to of the staff shortage.
“Like nurses, midwives are expected to do more with less, this does not inspire midwives to stay in the profession, let alone attract students to study it,” she said.
“We call on the WA Government to take immediate action to address this crisis. Ensuring midwives receive adequate support, incentives and recognition is essential to maintaining and improving maternity services in Western Australia.”
