WERRIBEE Mercy Hospital has capped the number of babies that can be born in its maternity ward each month, resulting in mums-to-be being turned away.
Tarneit’s Emma Gillman is 6½ months pregnant and will have to give birth to her second child at Sunshine Hospital because Werribee Mercy is booked out on the date she’s due.
Mrs Gillman said she contacted Werribee Mercy about its midwife delivery program when she was six weeks pregnant but was told she could not have her baby there.
She was told the only way she could give birth at the hospital was by using a private obstetrician who had admitting rights. When Mrs Gillman tried to book in with the only Wyndham obstetrician not attached to the hospital’s midwife program, she was told he was fully booked on her due date. Mrs Gillman said the obstetrician’s office told her the hospital had imposed a quota on the number of babies that could be born there.
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“It is all well and good for the hospital to have fantastic new facilities,” she said, “but who exactly is getting access to these facilities? This situation would be extremely upsetting and stressful for any expectant mother.”
As reported by the Weekly, the hospital’s maternity ward was recently expanded to provide eight extra obstetrics beds and four special-care nursery cots.
Mercy Public Hospital’s executive director Linda Mellors admitted women were being turned away from the hospital. She would not say how many had been told in recent months they could not give birth there.
Dr Mellors said the cap was regularly shifted as the hospital was moving to a full public maternity model.
Victorian Health Services commissioner Beth Wilson said she had received complaints from western suburbs women concerned they would not be able to give birth at their local hospital.
She was unable to say how many complaints had been made about Werribee Mercy.
Ms Wilson said it was unfair to expect women to book with their local hospital before they were six weeks pregnant.
Werribee Mercy was not the only hospital having trouble accommodating local women, she said, with the Royal Women’s Hospital also struggling to keep up with demand.
It was important to note expectant mothers would not be turned away in an emergency.
