The government has transitioned the privately run service back to the public system following concerns about the standard and accessibility of care.
Maternity services in Tasmania’s North West have officially transitioned back to the public system – a year earlier than planned.
The transition project is the result of the 2021 Independent Review of Quality, Safety and Management in the North West Maternity Services final report, which made 15 recommendations, the first of which was to bring the birthing services back under a public model.
The report found, among other things, evidence of a “poor workplace culture with hallmark features of fragmented services operating within professional and organisational silos; blaming and multiple interprofessional conflicts”.
“The poor workplace culture is threatening the very viability of the service through high attrition of staff and continued difficulties recruiting and retaining permanent staff,” the independent reviewers found.
“Simply tweaking the service or committee structure will not address the underlying structural and governance issues. More fundamental changes are required.”
Originally the transition was to occur in November 2024, but it was brought forward after pressure from the community and peak bodies, including the Australian Medical Association Tasmania.
AMA Tasmania President Dr John Saul said in February that the AMA had long held concerns about the maternity service in the North West.
He said the AMA was concerned about the number of complaints from women in the North West about the service they received while birthing over the past 12 months, with those complaints increasing in recent times.
“We are very alarmed that if the state government does not act immediately, mothers and their babies will continue to be at risk,” he said.
“While there is a contract in place for the private hospital to provide public services, they must be safe. The fact that our doctors no longer believe in the safety of those services means the hospital must be in breach of its contract, and the government should withdraw services from the private hospital.
“We are aware of obstetric doctors who are feeling vulnerable and worried for their patients, with their confidence eroded in the private maternity services.
“We cannot afford to wait until November 2024 for the transition team to complete its work before public maternity services are taken back into public hands. This is a medical emergency, and action must occur now.”
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff responded, saying the government would bring forward the transition of public maternity services from the North West Private Hospital to the Tasmanian Health Service from the planned date of November 2024.
This transition has now been finalised, Tasmanian Health Minister Guy Barnett said today. The change means that all elements of the maternity service – including inpatient birthing clinics and community midwifery services – are now delivered through the public system.
He said the new publicly delivered maternity service would provide high-quality care to mothers and babies in the region.
“We have listened to the North West community’s concerns and that’s why we brought the transition of maternity services to the public system forward from the initial date of November 2024,” said Mr Barnett.
“The new Tasmanian Health Service-delivered maternity service has been designed in collaboration with clinicians and consumers, and is now well positioned to deliver safe and high-quality care for mothers and babies across the coast.
“As a fully integrated service bringing all elements of maternity care together in the region, it will also deliver more connected statewide services, strengthen support for the workforce, and provide greater choice for mothers.”
The effective transfer of health professionals from the NWPH to the Tasmanian State Service was vital to the continuity of services and has been achieved with legislation passed to ensure employees maintain their entitlements and are not disadvantaged by the move.
“I would like to whole-heartedly welcome all health workers who have transferred from the North West Private Hospital to the Tasmanian State Service and thank them for continuing to deliver these services,” said Mr Barnett.
“Their skills and experience will be essential in ensuring continuity of services for patients and the delivery of high-quality maternity care into the future.
“I would also like to thank the North West Private Hospital and its owners HealtheCare for working with us to facilitate this early transition and we look forward to continuing our strong operational relationship.”