Page 629 - Week 02 - Thursday, 20 March 2014
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The birth centre and continuity of midwifery program have become very popular maternity options for mums with low-risk pregnancies. The service has not been available at Calvary hospital, or indeed on the north side of Canberra, until now. The Calvary birth centre increases overall capacity of this service in the territory, and the location of the service at Calvary significantly increases the convenience for north Canberra, Belconnen, Gungahlin and Molonglo families.
The Calvary birth centre comprises two birthing rooms, an assessment room, administrative space and a common area for patient and staff education, meetings and conversations. An area has also been set aside as a play area for children.
The opening of the Calvary birth centre delivers on yet another of the ACT government’s election commitments. We had allocated $850,000 for the refurbishment of the area and also provided funding for the continuity of midwifery service, to ensure that this commitment was fully delivered.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Dr Bourke.
DR BOURKE: Minister, what will this new service mean for families in north Canberra?
MS GALLAGHER: The popularity of the birth centre, which has operated at Canberra Hospital for many years and now at the new Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, prompted me to have a look at options to deliver a similar model for expecting mothers in Canberra’s north, and I did have representations from women on the north side of Canberra asking for the continuity of care model to be extended and from midwives as well about the midwifery-led care that was not available at Calvary hospital. So it has been very popular with staff, very popular with families going through a pregnancy.
We know that Calvary sees and delivers just over 1,800 births every year. With the opening of the birth centre, there will be a projected increase of around 240 births. We know also that the Canberra Hospital midwifery program currently provides 50 per cent of its services to women from the north side of Canberra. We know the demand is there from the north side. This will allow 240 extra births to occur closer to where women live and, I think, is an example of the work that we are getting done at Calvary hospital.
The opening was lovely. We had an Indigenous cleansing ceremony which was modified to acknowledge the smoke detectors in the building. But it was a very lovely ceremony, followed by Archbishop Christopher Prowse’s ceremony and blessing as part of the formal opening of the facility. It was a very lovely service.
Also there were the first two babies to be born at the service. They are very happy parents who have been through the program. It was one of the lovely events that I get to attend as health minister. And it is great to see the facility open and working at Calvary Health Care.
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