The establishment of an integrated North West maternity service, delivered from one site, is expected to occur in September; however no changes will be made until the appropriate transitional arrangements are in place.
The establishment of an integrated North West maternity service, including the consolidation of birthing services, is part of the Government’s One Health System reforms to provide higher quality services and better outcomes.
This decision is not about saving money, it is based on the best clinical advice from specialists, and is about putting the safety of North West mothers and babies first.
Subject to ongoing contract discussions, we expect to be able to announce the specific site location of the new service in July this year.
At least eight weeks’ notice will be given between the location announcement and the formal transfer of services and ceasing of birthing at the Mersey Community Hospital.
To implement the new service, a THS maternity transition project team has been appointed.
The team is headed by Dr Ruth Kearon who is based at the Mersey, with staff from the Mersey involved in developing the integrated maternity services model for the North West.
While there will quite clearly be changes to staff working arrangements to implement the new, safer service model, there will be no forced redundancies, and THS will work to maximise opportunities for the midwifery team from the Mersey to be part of the new service.
It is important to remember that the establishment of an integrated North West maternity service, including consolidating birthing services to one site, is all about ensuring the safety of mothers and babies. It is also necessary to sustainably attract and retain midwives, obstetricians and support staff such as anaesthetists and paediatricians.
As we’ve always said, antenatal and post-natal care will continue to be delivered from both the Mersey and Burnie for mothers right across the North West.
The implementation of the Government’s One Health System reforms will allow us to deliver high quality, safe and efficient clinical services which provide better outcomes for all Tasmanians.