New birthing services for Cooktown

Mothers-to-be in Cooktown will have the choice to deliver their babies locally for the first time in more than decade with the re-opening of a birthing service thanks to $3.8 million in funding from the Queensland Government.

The funding will see the Cooktown Cluster Midwifery Group Practice and birthing service operate from early next year.

Premier Campbell Newman said the birthing services in Cooktown will mean that up to 60 women a year will no longer have to travel elsewhere to give birth.

“After nearly 11 years of the doors being locked under Labor for routine births, this important local service will open and would remain open under an LNP government,” Mr Newman said.

“Since 2003, all Cooktown region women have had to go to Cairns or elsewhere at 36 weeks to have their babies.

“This government has a strong plan for a brighter future and this includes vital community initiatives like the Cooktown Multi-Purpose Health Service for which we’ll announce $3.8 million in recurrent funding.

“This money, to be formally announced in next month’s State Budget, will guarantee the future operations of the new Cooktown maternity and birthing service, with the first babies expected to be born through this service by early next year.

“Cooktown is just the second country hospital to have birthing services returned, after Beaudesert south of Brisbane, and I look forward to announcing the reopening of more birthing services in country towns throughout Queensland.”

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said hospitals like Cooktown would be the templates for the reintroduction of similar, basic health services which were lost under the previous Labor Government.

“The removal of these services was not only inequitable, it was unacceptable. In fact it is still unacceptable and that’s why the Newman Government announced our minimum service model last year,” Mr Springborg said.

“I’d like to make special mention of Cooktown Multi-Purpose Health Service Medical Superintendent Dr Tash Coventry, who has been a strong campaigner for many years to have birthing services returned to Cooktown.

“Indeed, Dr Coventry took time out in 2004 and 2006 in order to gain additional skills in obstetrics and anaesthetics so that she would be able to support a birthing service if it was re-introduced and a decade later that has become reality.

“I expect that Weipa, which has not had a full birthing service since the mid-1990s, will be the next town in this region to have services reinstated in the second round of birthing service reopenings.”

Cape York Hospital and Health Service Board Chair Bob McCarthy said the $3.8 million in annual operational funding for the new Cooktown birthing service was just the start.

“I would like to thank Premier Campbell Newman and Health Minister Lawrence Springborg for this vital funding,’’ Mr McCarthy said.

“It ensures that the new birthing service at the Cooktown Multi-Purpose Health Service will be fully funded from the start.

“I hope the Premier and Minister can come back early next year to meet some of the first babies born at Cooktown through this new birthing service and their mothers and we’ll continue to work diligently on extending the service to other towns in the region.’’

Mr McCarthy said the Cooktown MPHS had started recruiting and appointing additional staff to operate the new maternity and birthing service.

The HHS has already appointed a Clinical Midwifery Consultant and a Maternal and Child Health/Indigenous Health Worker at Cooktown and is continuing to recruit for an additional four midwives, one health worker, three nurses, two doctors and an administrative assistant.

Mr McCarthy said the next step for the health service now was to look at improving maternity and birthing services for Cape York as a whole.

[ENDS] 26 May 2014

Media Contacts: Premier - Katherine Hornbuckle 0402 862 351 Minister Springborg -Ian Eckersley 0432 754 897