1
00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,000
Speaker 1: Well. As I mentioned, we have indeed spoken on a

2
00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:05,960
Speaker 1: number of occasions in recent weeks and months about maternity

3
00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:10,280
Speaker 1: services and will, specifically following the closure of the private

4
00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:13,159
Speaker 1: maternity ward at the dahl And Private Hospital. Now we

5
00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,279
Speaker 1: also then heard two weeks ago from a first time

6
00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:19,600
Speaker 1: mum who gave birth at home after being sent home

7
00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,520
Speaker 1: by staff. Now we're hearing from other mums that services

8
00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:29,120
Speaker 1: are being cut. We've seen a letter advising that midwiffery

9
00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:33,120
Speaker 1: group practice on call services has been stopped while the

10
00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,400
Speaker 1: reviews carried out to ensure that the model is sustainable.

11
00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:39,920
Speaker 1: Now the letter states that anti natal and post natal

12
00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:44,600
Speaker 1: appointments are going to be conducted by the MGP team

13
00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:49,800
Speaker 1: during business hours and that labour and birth care are

14
00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:52,600
Speaker 1: going to be provided by midwives and doctors in the

15
00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:58,000
Speaker 1: delivery suite, which will also handle after ours calls to midwives. Now,

16
00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:00,440
Speaker 1: the letter goes on to say that planned home births

17
00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,080
Speaker 1: will be supported, but at times support could be unavailable

18
00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,480
Speaker 1: due to staffing limitations. Now joining us on the line

19
00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,800
Speaker 1: is mum Tessa. Good morning to you, Tessa.

20
00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:13,080
Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. How are you yeah?

21
00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,800
Speaker 1: Really good? Thank you so much for your time and

22
00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:19,400
Speaker 1: I know that you and several other Northern Territory mums

23
00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:21,880
Speaker 1: well really are trying to keep up to date with

24
00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,960
Speaker 1: everything that is going on when it comes to maternity

25
00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:30,039
Speaker 1: services across the Northern Territory, specifically following on from the

26
00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:34,920
Speaker 1: closure of the private ward at the Darwin Private Hospital.

27
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:40,920
Speaker 1: Tessa tell us what this you know, this latest situation is.

28
00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,000
Speaker 2: Well, as you mentioned, Katie, there's been a letter circulating

29
00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,200
Speaker 2: from the head of the MGP program to mums who

30
00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:54,000
Speaker 2: are winning that program advising them that the services going

31
00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,600
Speaker 2: is currently undergoing a review and so on. Call and

32
00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,640
Speaker 2: birth services are going to be temporarily period of time

33
00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:05,720
Speaker 2: suspended while that review is conducted. And the MGP program

34
00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:08,560
Speaker 2: is you know, it's a really crucial sort of program

35
00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,040
Speaker 2: that has been offered by NT Healthcare in Darwin because

36
00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:16,000
Speaker 2: it's the only continuity of care program available for women

37
00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,440
Speaker 2: in Darwin, particularly now obviously after the closure of the

38
00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:25,400
Speaker 2: private maternity services. So with that being removed, it removes

39
00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,960
Speaker 2: the only other continuity of care program, as I said,

40
00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,919
Speaker 2: and I think the letter indicates that home births will

41
00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:36,120
Speaker 2: continue to be supported, obviously subject to resourcing. And that's

42
00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,320
Speaker 2: a concern because is that a sign of things to come.

43
00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:45,520
Speaker 2: But for the other four MGP teams, they will no

44
00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:47,880
Speaker 2: longer have those midwives who have provided them with the

45
00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:51,640
Speaker 2: support through their pregnancy, at their birth or if something

46
00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,959
Speaker 2: happens outside of business hours, they won't those midwives won't

47
00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,760
Speaker 2: be available. And Katie, just so your listeners are aware,

48
00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,240
Speaker 2: MGP program provides support to some of our most vulnerable moms.

49
00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,400
Speaker 2: Two of the teams support women who come in from

50
00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:12,200
Speaker 2: remote communities and the other two provide support for women

51
00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:16,120
Speaker 2: who have psychosocial vulnerabilities and what might be considered sort

52
00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,240
Speaker 2: of higher risk pregnancy. So they're our most vulnerable mums

53
00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:24,880
Speaker 2: and we know continuity of care provides better outcomes for moms,

54
00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,440
Speaker 2: better outcomes for babies. There was a study published just

55
00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,080
Speaker 2: in July in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynocology,

56
00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,240
Speaker 2: and it was an Australian study that talked about specifically

57
00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:41,640
Speaker 2: continuity of care and lowering the neonatal and steelbirth death rates.

58
00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:45,160
Speaker 2: And so we've removed our continuity of care with not

59
00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,559
Speaker 2: having private obstetric services available. We're now removing our continuity

60
00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:54,520
Speaker 2: of care with the MGP program. So it's really really concerning.

61
00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:59,160
Speaker 1: To anybody listening this morning that maybe hasn't utilized the

62
00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,480
Speaker 1: midware free group practice service before or doesn't know a

63
00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,920
Speaker 1: huge amount about it. Just spell it out for our listens.

64
00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,920
Speaker 1: Listeners exactly, you know what service they provide.

65
00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:14,320
Speaker 2: So they provide a as I said, a continuity of

66
00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,240
Speaker 2: care service. So you have a primary midwife. They have

67
00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,040
Speaker 2: four teams and each of those teams has two midwives.

68
00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,320
Speaker 2: You have your primary midwife, you introduced to your secondary

69
00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:25,520
Speaker 2: midwife in case your primary midwife for whatever reason, is

70
00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:29,600
Speaker 2: not available. They do all your prenatal appointments, so you

71
00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,719
Speaker 2: have all of your appointments with the same midwife. Yeah,

72
00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,279
Speaker 2: they historically have been there out of hours. If you

73
00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,000
Speaker 2: need something, they're on call, you call them. And then

74
00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,760
Speaker 2: also obviously for your birth and then your post natal

75
00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:46,680
Speaker 2: appointments as well. And so what the suspension of services is,

76
00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,920
Speaker 2: as I understand, it is the outside of ours and

77
00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:54,320
Speaker 2: the birth support. So the women will still see their

78
00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,400
Speaker 2: primary midwife for their anti natal and post nail appointments,

79
00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:01,680
Speaker 2: but that midwife will not be of available for their birth,

80
00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:05,760
Speaker 2: and if something happens out of hours, you'll be seen

81
00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:09,680
Speaker 2: by the delivery suites midwives up at RDH. The other

82
00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:12,920
Speaker 2: thing as I understand, it is provided those mums were

83
00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:17,320
Speaker 2: considered low risk or normal risk pregnancies and births. They

84
00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,839
Speaker 2: were utilizing the birth center downstairs. We know that there

85
00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:25,279
Speaker 2: have been ongoing resourcing issues and that beautiful center that

86
00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:28,520
Speaker 2: we have at RDH really hasn't been used this year

87
00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,480
Speaker 2: at all. That is now off the table. The letter

88
00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,200
Speaker 2: makes clear that delivery will be up on.

89
00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:37,200
Speaker 1: Level six, so you can no longer go downstairs to

90
00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,479
Speaker 1: the birthing where you can put where you maybe just

91
00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:41,159
Speaker 1: there for the day.

92
00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right for the MGP ladies, that's what the

93
00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:47,640
Speaker 2: letter spells out. That your delivery, your birth and delivery

94
00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,520
Speaker 2: will be conducted on Level six by the delivery suites

95
00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:55,680
Speaker 2: midwives and so it's just another cut of resources and services.

96
00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,520
Speaker 1: And choice, you know, choice for families when it comes

97
00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,800
Speaker 1: to having their babies. Tell me what are other mums

98
00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,000
Speaker 1: saying about this at the moment? So I know that

99
00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,440
Speaker 1: you know, you're very like you are very well connected

100
00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:10,440
Speaker 1: with a whole lot of other mums. What are they

101
00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:11,839
Speaker 1: saying at this point in time.

102
00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:16,920
Speaker 2: Look, there's been a lot of concern raised about again

103
00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,760
Speaker 2: removal of services, removal of something which has been sort

104
00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,159
Speaker 2: of I guess the forerunner in maternity care within the

105
00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:28,400
Speaker 2: public system. The MGP program has been so important and

106
00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:32,239
Speaker 2: it's such a wonderful program to have, but there's also

107
00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:35,440
Speaker 2: real concern about what it means for resourcing for all

108
00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:37,680
Speaker 2: the other mums that are within the public system. I mean,

109
00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:42,159
Speaker 2: we've obviously seen the influx of women who were planning

110
00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:45,960
Speaker 2: on birthing at the private hospital now in the public system,

111
00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,000
Speaker 2: and despite what NTI Health says about being able to cope,

112
00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:52,320
Speaker 2: I mean, my personal story evidence is that that's not

113
00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:55,080
Speaker 2: necessarily the case. But also there's been a lot of

114
00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:58,039
Speaker 2: other stories out there. Recently we had the mum who

115
00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,320
Speaker 2: was sent home and ended up having a home accidental

116
00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:05,039
Speaker 2: home birth, not planned, and we've also there's a lot

117
00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:09,160
Speaker 2: of stories out there still and this is recently, as

118
00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,200
Speaker 2: in within the last few weeks, about women's inductions being

119
00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:16,040
Speaker 2: delayed going into the wards, starting the induction process and

120
00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,600
Speaker 2: they're not being birth suites or resources available for that

121
00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:21,840
Speaker 2: to continue, so they're spending two or three days on

122
00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,720
Speaker 2: the maternity ward waiting for the resources so that they

123
00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:29,400
Speaker 2: can continue to have their induction. So that you know,

124
00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,720
Speaker 2: you're putting additional pressure on the level six birth suites,

125
00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:37,320
Speaker 2: because instead of having these ladies looked after by their midwives,

126
00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:41,640
Speaker 2: possibly downstairs, they're now being looked after by the team upstairs.

127
00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:45,280
Speaker 2: Who you know, it's fairly clear from where I'm standing

128
00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,200
Speaker 2: and from the women I'm talking to, are already very stretched,

129
00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:55,040
Speaker 2: very under resourced. Yet and the more women in the system, well.

130
00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:58,200
Speaker 1: Tell me, like I guess from your perspective, like you've seen,

131
00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:00,920
Speaker 1: you know, women at the moment that due to give birth.

132
00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,160
Speaker 1: They are obviously feeling as though Royal Darwin Hospital is

133
00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:05,120
Speaker 1: quite overwhelmed.

134
00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,080
Speaker 2: They are, they are, Katie, and I mean it's consistent

135
00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,280
Speaker 2: with you know, we've seen the code yellow. We know

136
00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:14,520
Speaker 2: the emergency department is completely overwhelmed. We know we have

137
00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:20,000
Speaker 2: bead shortages and stuff resourcing shortages, and then that's coupled

138
00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:23,960
Speaker 2: with the closure of the private maternity services and now

139
00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:28,080
Speaker 2: the you know, the suspension of the MGP program for birthing.

140
00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,560
Speaker 2: The mums out there that are pregnant due to give

141
00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:36,520
Speaker 2: birth in the coming days and weeks are very nervous,

142
00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,480
Speaker 2: very concerned about you know, what level of care is

143
00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:42,320
Speaker 2: going to be available. You know, are they going to

144
00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:46,000
Speaker 2: present to birth weeks and be turned away or present

145
00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,240
Speaker 2: to birth weeks and not have a birth suite available

146
00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:49,680
Speaker 2: for them.

147
00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:53,319
Speaker 1: It's you know, it's a worry, like absolutely, it's a

148
00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:56,760
Speaker 1: it's a stressful situation then for mums, you know, and

149
00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,480
Speaker 1: particularly for first time mums, but for all moms that

150
00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,760
Speaker 1: are going to give birth and wondering about you know,

151
00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,280
Speaker 1: what it's going to mean for them. Tessa. Look, we'll

152
00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:07,840
Speaker 1: continue to have discussions about this. We might try and

153
00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:09,640
Speaker 1: catch up with the nursing and mid we're re union

154
00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:11,880
Speaker 1: on the show tomorrow. We'll certainly put in a request

155
00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,120
Speaker 1: to get some further detail from the department and from

156
00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:18,320
Speaker 1: the minister. I really appreciate you getting in contact with

157
00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,240
Speaker 1: us and making us aware of what's going on.

158
00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:25,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks, Katie. I know it's a real concern and

159
00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:28,800
Speaker 2: I mean obviously for me it no longer impacts on

160
00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:33,080
Speaker 2: me personally. But if women aren't advocating and telling their

161
00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:36,640
Speaker 2: stories and sharing these issues and keeping this issue front

162
00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:39,760
Speaker 2: and center in the media, then it's not going to improve,

163
00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:43,800
Speaker 2: and we really really need it to improve. There needs

164
00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:46,240
Speaker 2: to be systemic change. There needs to be more funding.

165
00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,720
Speaker 2: We need to look at our recruitment and retention policies

166
00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:52,840
Speaker 2: for midwives and obviously, then also the issue about whether

167
00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,800
Speaker 2: or not we can re establish private maternity services in

168
00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:57,160
Speaker 2: the Northern Territory.

169
00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,000
Speaker 1: Yep, sport on. Well, Tessa, I really appreciate your time

170
00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:02,120
Speaker 1: this morning. Thank you so much for having a chat,

171
00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:05,320
Speaker 1: no problem, Thanks for having me on Katie anytime. Thank

172
00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:05,440
Speaker 1: you