21 June 2012

No permanent birthing suites at a Women and Children’s Hospital? Only in Canberra!

| johnboy
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Jeremy Hanson has the sidesplitting news on just what is being delivered in the new Women and Children’s Hospital:

“Katy Gallagher was today forced to admit that she’ll deliver half a hospital – a Women and Children’s Hospital without a permanent birthing suite, or paediatric outpatient facilities,” Mr Hanson said today.

“This is effectively a Women and Children’s Hospital without the children, and shows the lengths Katy Gallagher will go to cut ribbons during an election year.

“Sham openings in the lead up to an election have become an ACT Labor trademark– as we saw with the opening of half the ACT Jail in 2008.

But will there be a machine that goes bing?

UPDATE 21/06/12 17:06: The Chief Minister’s Office has sent in this reply:

The new women’s and children’s hospital will of course have permanent birthing suites.

The only way to complete the refurbishment of the birthing suites is to move them while the work is done. This is why the new women’s and children’s hospital project is in two phases.

When we open the first phase of the women’s and children’s hospital, all births will be in the new part – either in the midwife-led birth centre or the birthing suites (currently known as the delivery suites).

When we complete phase two, births through the birth centre will remain in the new part of the women’s and children’s hospital while births through the birthing suites will move back into the refurbished part of the women’s and children’s hospital.

The only way to do this kind of work is in stages. This has always been the plan.

For the first time paediatrics, maternity, neonatal intensive care and special care nurseries, maternity assessment and gynaecological services will all be in the same place – the new women’s and children’s hospital.

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grunge_hippy said :

MWF said :

Your baby will get born – it has to exit your body somehow.

The main difference between a birthing suite and a hospital delivery room is basically the colour of the curtains and the lino.

Are you a man by any chance? Most women get that bit, the few “birthzillas” that demand that soft music be played while following a strict birth plan are few and far between.

Nope. Not a man.

Midwives in Australia are the best in the world no matter where they work: birthing suite, hospital delivery room and at home.

In my opnion, if Katy G. was still breeding things might be different in Canberra…

…’s lucky we’re so close to the fabulous maternity facilities in queanbeyan, then, innit!

TheDancingDjinn3:19 pm 24 Jun 12

grunge_hippy said :

MWF said :

Your baby will get born – it has to exit your body somehow.

The main difference between a birthing suite and a hospital delivery room is basically the colour of the curtains and the lino.

Are you a man by any chance? Most women get that bit, the few “birthzillas” that demand that soft music be played while following a strict birth plan are few and far between.

The fact that we have to wait FOR EITHER service is ridiculous. The fact that they are opening a new hospital in order to meet this demand, yet aren’t’ opening that part of it first is ridiculous.

You can have music playing in the public sector, i had both my boys at Calvary public section and had my first via emergency C-section- had i been able to deliver naturally in the room they gave me my son would have been born to Tool – stinkfist.
My second child also born via c section was done by one of the best surgeons in Canberra, he just happened to be doing some work there and had some time to quickly get my kid out hehe
When i was pregnant and i asked about the birthing centre at Woden, i was told it was a “Bonk and Book” situation, there were no spots 7 yrs ago.

grunge_hippy9:28 am 24 Jun 12

MWF said :

Your baby will get born – it has to exit your body somehow.

The main difference between a birthing suite and a hospital delivery room is basically the colour of the curtains and the lino.

Are you a man by any chance? Most women get that bit, the few “birthzillas” that demand that soft music be played while following a strict birth plan are few and far between.

The fact that we have to wait FOR EITHER service is ridiculous. The fact that they are opening a new hospital in order to meet this demand, yet aren’t’ opening that part of it first is ridiculous.

gentoopenguin said :

grunge_hippy said :

what a crock.

I know someone who rang the birthing centre at 5 weeks pregnant and is on a waiting list. Same for the ‘catch’ program that is in place for those who want the continuity of the same midwife but don’t get to use the birthing suites, but have to have it upstairs. There is also a waiting list for the antenatal program.

You would think that this would be priority 1.

+1 I rang the Birthing Centre at 6 weeks and was told they were booked out. I asked if women pee on a stick and ring, which was met with a deadpan ‘yes, basically’.

Even that doesn’t help. We rang the day we found out (about 4.5 weeks) and got put on a waiting list. We then attended the open day that they told us we had to attend to secure a spot. Still no spot was secured. I think some people book before they are pregnant.

Your baby will get born – it has to exit your body somehow.

The main difference between a birthing suite and a hospital delivery room is basically the colour of the curtains and the lino.

gentoopenguin7:29 pm 23 Jun 12

grunge_hippy said :

what a crock.

I know someone who rang the birthing centre at 5 weeks pregnant and is on a waiting list. Same for the ‘catch’ program that is in place for those who want the continuity of the same midwife but don’t get to use the birthing suites, but have to have it upstairs. There is also a waiting list for the antenatal program.

You would think that this would be priority 1.

+1 I rang the Birthing Centre at 6 weeks and was told they were booked out. I asked if women pee on a stick and ring, which was met with a deadpan ‘yes, basically’.

grunge_hippy5:47 pm 23 Jun 12

what a crock.

I know someone who rang the birthing centre at 5 weeks pregnant and is on a waiting list. Same for the ‘catch’ program that is in place for those who want the continuity of the same midwife but don’t get to use the birthing suites, but have to have it upstairs. There is also a waiting list for the antenatal program.

You would think that this would be priority 1.

Permament …. is that like “Connonwealth”? : )

Chop71 said :

Sounds just like the opening of half of the GDE

Well not quite. My understanding is that the old birthing suite etc will become part of the new hospital. But it will need to be totally refurbished to fit the new birthing model. Obviously you can’t close down these old parts for refurbishment until the new section is totally built. That is why it has to be in two stages.

Sounds just like the opening of half of the GDE

neanderthalsis2:13 pm 21 Jun 12

I think that given the state of health services here in the ACT, perhaps the miracle of Birth part two, the third world (Liverpool) Monty Python view would be more fitting.

I’m a bit confused about what he’s talking about. Is he referring to the fact that the new hospital will be opened in two stages? Does he realise that the old bits of the hospital, including the current birthing suites, aren’t closing down until the whole thing’s finished?

p1 said :

Jeremy Hanson has the sidesplitting news on just what is being delivered in the new Women and Children’s Hospital:
“Sham openings in the lead up to an election have become an ACT Labor trademark– as we saw with the opening of half the ACT Jail in 2008.

Yet they keep winning said elections?

Because there’s no viable alternative.

Jeremy Hanson has the sidesplitting news on just what is being delivered in the new Women and Children’s Hospital:
“Sham openings in the lead up to an election have become an ACT Labor trademark– as we saw with the opening of half the ACT Jail in 2008.

Yet they keep winning said elections?

‘Deliver half a hospital…’. Ouch!

“birthing suit”

Cheers Aidan, fixed!

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