St John of God Health Care confirms Geraldton maternity service will continue despite Bunbury closure

Geraldton’s private hospital says the future of its maternity ward is stable, despite closures in other areas of the State. On Tuesday, St John of God Health Care released a statement, announcing it would close its Bunbury maternity ward next month, due to ongoing issues regarding private obstetric care. However, the hospital confirmed its Geraldton service would continue. St John of God Health Care chief operating officer Ben Edwards said the maternity service was an important one in the Mid West. “St John of God Geraldton Hospital’s maternity service is a well-regarded service that is sought after by women and families in the Mid West region who want to use their private hospital insurance to access our care,” he said. “We are thankful for the community’s ongoing support and demand for our care, which has seen a 13 per cent increase over the past financial year in the number of babies born at St John of God Geraldton Hospital, and on average we now welcome about 19 babies each month. “There is a well-known shortage of midwives worldwide and while St John of God Geraldton Hospital has experienced some recruitment challenges like all private maternity services in the past, we currently have a stable workforce with the appropriate clinical mix and experience who can support and provide safe care to women and families in our region. “We also continue to focus on growing our own workforce and offer an employed model of nurse to midwife program locally, so our caregivers can earn while completing their training and avoiding additional costs associated with travelling to Perth to complete clinical placements.” Geraldton SJOG’s maternity service was temporarily suspended in November 2021 due to staff shortages but was fully reopened in April 2022. The Geraldton facility is one of the only private Mid West hospitals with a maternity service, with expected parents needing to go through the public system, or travel to Perth to have their child in the event of a closure.