Midwives and mothers have come forward to share their experiences at the Royal Hobert Hospital’s Maternity Unit, with many claiming staff shortages are compromising patient care. It comes after the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation wrote to the department of health with the same concerns – demanding urgent action.
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00:00When Erin McGinn went to the Royal Hobart Hospital to have her baby, she was told they
00:09couldn't break her waters because they didn't have any staff available.
00:14I was so uncomfortable and I was in a lot of pain and I already knew what was to come
00:19with the labour and the contractions.
00:21Erin ended up having a C-section, so she needed help with simple things.
00:28I was waiting half an hour, upwards to an hour, until someone could come and just pass
00:34me my child.
00:36And that was really frustrating.
00:38It's stories like Erin's that spurred the Nurses and Midwives Union to call for urgent
00:43action, claiming maternity staff shortages are leading to adverse outcomes for families.
00:50Not being able to properly care for their patients is also distressing for midwives
00:55like Sarah.
00:57She works at the Royal, we're not identifying her because she fears repercussions.
01:02I did a night shift the other night, and so there was one midwife at one end of the ward,
01:07I was at the other end of the ward, and I had 12 women and 6 babies.
01:12And she, the midwife at the other end, had a similar amount.
01:17Sarah says staffing shortages are common.
01:20On most days she gets messages asking if she can work.
01:24But it's the patients she's most worried about.
01:27All of us have spent our careers working through breaks and finishing late, and that's OK.
01:33But when you get to the end of the shift thinking, I could have f***ing killed someone last night,
01:38like it really makes you question your life choices.
01:41Multiple midwives contacted ABC Radio Hobart's mornings program.
01:46One said they worry midwives will be left carrying all the blame if something awful
01:51happens to a mother or baby.
01:54Another said delayed inductions and infant weight loss are not uncommon.
01:59Management know about the issues, and staff are not supported.
02:04And one midwife said she cried with relief at hearing the union speak out.
02:09We must provide a very safe environment for people that access very important health services.
02:17In a statement, the Department of Health said it's undertaken an initial review of
02:21rosters, which confirms appropriate staffing levels are being met in the majority of shifts.
02:27It's also conducting a further retrospective analysis of rosters to identify any potential
02:33opportunities for improvement.
02:36Their care and their compassion were second to none.
02:38They were supportive and helpful when they could, and I feel really sorry that they can't
02:43provide the best care that there is because they don't have the support of other midwives there.