Staff at a Victorian hospital set to close its maternity services early next year have said the decision has come as a “total shock”.
Epworth HealthCare yesterday announced plans to close its Geelong maternity service due to staff shortages.
Group chief executive Dr Lachlan Henderson said the private hospital, which opened the service in 2017, had entered a period of consultation with key stakeholders.
Epworth HealthCare yesterday announced plans to close its Geelong maternity service due to staff shortages. (Epworth HealthCare)
“Nursing and midwifery workforce shortages are being experienced worldwide and across Australia and our repeated and extensive efforts to recruit midwifery staff to the Epworth Geelong maternity unit have met with limited success ” Dr. Henderson said.
The hospital is located in Greater Geelong, Victoria’s second largest city.
In a letter sent by Epworth-based Geelong Maternity Group (GMG), it said staff were only notified of their decision to close the unit just hours before it was made public.
“Despite operational issues with midwifery and paediatrics staff shortages over recent months, we have been consistently reassured that Epworth would do everything possible to maintain its maternity service,” they said.
“Media reports now indicate that a consultation process is ongoing, but midwives and obstetricians at Epworth have been informed that the unit will be closing permanently.
“It has come as a terrible shock. We are devastated by the news, as are our fellow midwives and practice staff who will lose their jobs as a result of the closure.”
GMG said they have asked Epworth executives to check their commitment to all booked patients due to give birth on or after March 1, but have since declined.
Staff are now working to find alternative arrangements for customers.
Epworth Geelong has paused new maternity bookings, but other services at the hospital are not affected.