Latest news with #midwives
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Midwives and supporters protest cuts to staffing at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred hospital
Midwives and supporters rallied outside the Royal Prince Alfred hospital in Camperdown on Tuesday, protesting against cuts to the number of staff deployed across the birth and delivery unit. The NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association says the reductions will mean the hospital won't be able to provide one midwife to each woman. O'Bray Smith, the association's president, said nine beds in the maternity ward would be cut, warning that 'women will be pushed out faster than they already are'. Ryan Park, the NSW health minister, told reporters: 'I want to make it clear, no one in RPA is losing their jobs.' He said that midwives were being 'redeployed in other parts of maternity services' due to 'a slight reduction in birth rates at RPA'. Park added that the NSW government used a model called Birthrate Plus to determine the level of staffing in birthing and maternity services, a model that he said had been endorsed by the nurses and midwives' association
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Women and babies could die due to midwife cuts at Sydney's RPA hospital, staff warn
Midwives at one of Sydney's largest hospitals have warned women and babies could die in light of cuts to the number of midwives staff deployed across the birth and delivery unit. Hospital staff say 20 full-time equivalent roles have been removed from across the women and babies service at Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) hospital in Camperdown, including five from the midwifery group practice (MGP), effective from Tuesday. The New South Wales Nurses and Midwives' Association (NSWNMA) said that while no jobs will be lost, vacant positions that are currently advertised will now not be filled and fewer casual staff will be brought in. The changes will mean fewer midwives will be rostered on to each shift in the labour ward and birth centre to assist mothers giving birth at RPA. 'So currently in the birth unit, you would have eight midwives on a day shift, 10 midwives on an afternoon and eight on the night [shift],' the NSWNMA president, O'Bray Smith, said. 'With the new changes, you will have six midwives [on each of the three shifts]. This is not safe.' The union said nine beds in the maternity ward would also be cut, with Smith warning this would mean 'women will be pushed out faster than they already are'. Speaking at a rally outside RPA on Tuesday, Smith said reducing the number of midwives assisting women during birth will mean that not all women will receive the one-to-one care during active labour and two-to-one care during delivery, which is considered safe practice. 'Midwives are already at breaking point,' Smith said. 'They know that women aren't getting the care they deserve in NSW. This is really going to make things a lot worse. Every single shift, a mother or a baby could die as a result of not having enough staff. This is about saving lives, having safe staffing. The midwives are absolutely terrified of what could happen here.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Jessica Rendell, a midwife at RPA since 2021, the staffing changes were 'a slap in the face'. 'It's just really unsafe having such limited [number of] midwives,' she said, speaking to Guardian Australia in her capacity as an NSWNMA member. 'It's such a joke that they're cutting our staffing and numbers. It's not like we're sitting around doing nothing. We are run off our feet every single day. 'If you ask any of the girls working today, have they had a break? Have they eaten? And they probably haven't … We're exhausted, honestly we've had enough. The government is making it so hard to enjoy coming back to work every day, because it's just so stressful coming into work and knowing that you might not be able to help your woman in an emergency.' Rendell said she knew a number of midwives who were looking to leave positions in NSW Health for jobs in other states where the pay is higher and staff-to-patient ratios are better. The NSW health minister, Ryan Park, told reporters on Tuesday: 'I want to make it clear, no one in RPA is losing their jobs.' He said midwives were being 'redeployed in other parts of maternity services' due to 'a slight reduction in birthrates at RPA'. Park added that the state government used a model called Birthrate Plus to determine the level of staffing in birthing and maternity services, a model that he said had been endorsed by the NSWNMA. The union previously endorsed the Birthrate Plus model, but has for a number of years called for its review and the implementation of 1:3 staff ratios. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The NSWNMA has raised concerns about the reduction in the number of midwives who will work across the MGP program, which allows a woman to see the same midwife throughout her pregnancy, during delivery and postnatal follow-up care. The number of midwives assigned to MGP will drop by at least five, the union said, despite a huge demand for the service and the fact that the recent NSW birth trauma inquiry recommended 'the NSW government invest in and expand midwifery continuity of care models, including midwifery group practice'. The Aboriginal MGP, a dedicated program to assist Indigenous women to give birth in culturally safe ways and to improve outcomes for Indigenous women and their babies, will also be merged with the general MGP program. The two dedicated Aboriginal MGP midwives say they anticipate being asked to pick up extra patients from the general service, diverting their focus from Indigenous women. 'It's been integrated. It's no longer a protected Indigenous space,' , one of the Aboriginal MGP midwives, Paige Austin, said, speaking to Guardian Australia in her capacity as a NSWNMA member. 'Those women lose us, and they lose our time and everything that we give to them extra on top of MGP.' News of the staffing changes was shared on the mothers' group that Charlotte Wesley and Bridget Dominic are part of, and they both turned out in the rain on Tuesday to show support for the RPA midwives who had assisted them to deliver their babies – George and Roonui – just three months ago. 'The midwives showed up for us so we really want to show up for them,' Dominic said. 'I do think that these cuts could lead to deaths of mothers and babies. But further than that, we shouldn't just be aiming for alive mothers and babies; we want happy and healthy [mothers and] babies who contribute to happy healthy communities.' RPA was contacted for comment.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Queensland Nurses and Midwives' Union threatens 'disruptive' industrial action over pay negotiations with state government
The union representing Queensland nurses and midwives is warning it will ramp up industrial action if the state government doesn't meet its calls for a better pay rise. The government has been negotiating a new enterprise agreement with the Queensland Nurses and Midwives' Union (QNMU) over the past six months. The union is seeking a 13 per cent pay rise over three years, while the government has offered an 11 per cent increase over the same period. The union says it wants nation-leading pay and conditions — and has claimed the offer put forward by the government doesn't meet what it is asking for. QNMU secretary Sarah Beaman said if the government did not agree to their calls, the union would move to stage two protected industrial action from July 7. "This will involve rolling statewide work bans in all Queensland Health public hospitals and facilities. As always, patient safety will remain paramount," she said. "It will be disruptive, more disruptive than stage one. "It will involve nurses and midwives refusing to perform some of their normal tasks or accept some new tasks that do not directly involve direct clinical care." Ms Beaman suggested that could include bed making, data entry, meeting attendance, restocking, cleaning of equipment, and answering phones. She said the pay and conditions put forward by the government for two-thirds of nurses and midwives was not nation-leading. "We will not be gaslit and we will not be taken for fools," Ms Beaman said. In a statement, Health Minister Tim Nicholls insisted the government was committed to delivering a "nation-leading" wages deal for the state's nurses and midwives. "To continue to progress this deal and negotiate with the Queensland Nurses and Midwives' Union, Queensland Health is seeking conciliation through the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission," he said. "We remain at the table to finalise an agreement, and following 36 meetings since December, the QNMU put forward its first formal written position on Friday." Earlier on Monday, Premier David Crisafulli said the government was confident it could deliver nation-leading pay and conditions, as he promised to negotiate in "good faith". In the state budget handed down last week, the government projected it would spend $42 billion per year on all public service wages by 2028-29. The budget papers note that from 2026-27, the growth in government employee expenses is contained to an average annual rate of 3.5 per cent. The QMNU says the government has until July 2 to meet its claims, when it will formally notify of its intention to take stage two protected industrial action.
Japan Times
23-06-2025
- Health
- Japan Times
Childbirth facilities disappearing from Fukushima towns
Medical facilities capable of delivering babies are vanishing from Fukushima Prefecture's rural regions. In the town of Hanawa, Hanawa Kousei Hospital stopped handling childbirths at the end of February, leaving just 26 medical facilities in seven cities in the prefecture that can handle deliveries. The number represents a decrease of about 40% over the past decade, which reflects a growing concentration of childbirths in urban areas. Municipal governments are increasingly concerned that changes in the environment for pregnancy and childbirth may accelerate population decline. On Jan. 22, Hanawa Kousei Hospital posted a notice on its website, saying, 'We have worked for many years to enhance perinatal medical services. However, due to various circumstances, it has become difficult to maintain our delivery system, and we have decided to suspend inpatient delivery practices in our obstetrics and gynecology department.' The hospital's OB-GYN department was established in 1966. For nearly 60 years, it catered to the needs of pregnant women from municipalities in the Higashi-Shirakawa district — Tanagura, Yamatsuri, Hanawa and Samegawa — handling around 600 deliveries annually at its peak. In recent years, it remained the only delivery facility in the district, managing about 50 births a year. Behind the suspension is a shortage of medical personnel. The hospital used to have about eight midwives, but the number has gradually declined due to retirement and resignations. Most recently, deliveries were handled by just one OB-GYN doctor and three midwives. Although the hospital continues to offer prenatal checkups and cancer screenings at its OB-GYN department, its withdrawal from the delivery of babies has created a strong sense of loss and anxiety about the future among local residents. Hanawa Mayor Hidetoshi Miyata, 75, expressed deep concerns, saying the suspension is a 'serious blow' to the town. 'If there's no environment in town where people can give birth with a sense of security, more young people may leave, which will accelerate the decline in the number of children." The number of births in Hanawa has been steadily falling, with the town's population dropping from about 13,500 in 1970 to around 7,800 today. The town is rushing to boost support for pregnant women and new mothers. There is a national program that subsidizes 80% of transportation costs for prenatal checkups at the nearest delivery facility if it takes over an hour to reach by public transportation or private car. The town expands on this program and fully covers transportation costs — be they for trains, buses or taxis — regardless of travel time. How to maintain the childbirth environment is a challenge shared by rural communities across Japan. Over a decade ago, Iwasa Clinic in Daigo, Ibaraki Prefecture, which borders the southern part of Fukushima Prefecture, also stopped handling deliveries. It now only provides outpatient services. 'From the perspective of hospital management, some reduction in delivery facilities is unavoidable,' Miyata said. However, the mayor stressed that municipalities in the Higashi-Shirakawa district will continue to urge hospitals not to reduce obstetric services any further, given the importance of perinatal care. Hanawa Kousei Hospital in Fukushima Prefecture stopped handling childbirths at the end of February. | Fukushima Minpo As of April 1, there were 26 facilities that can handle deliveries in Fukushima Prefecture, down from 41 in 2015. Only seven cities — Fukushima, Koriyama, Sukagawa, Shirakawa, Aizuwakamatsu, Minamisoma and Iwaki — had such facilities, while 52 other municipalities in the prefecture had none. According to the prefecture's regional medical service division, medical institutions have suspended deliveries due to the retirement of doctors and the declining birth rate, among other reasons. Municipalities without delivery facilities are facing a growing need to ensure that women can give birth safely and with peace of mind outside their residential areas. Saki Ohira, who lives in the town of Tanagura with her husband, Masataka, is expecting twins in late July. But she is worried about having to go to a hospital far away to give birth as her town has no delivery facility. The couple, both 34, are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first children as they look at ultrasound images of them. Ohira has been preparing to give birth at the International University of Health and Welfare Hospital in Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture, which is about an hour's drive from her home using the expressway. 'To be honest, I wish there was a nearby place to give birth safely,' she said. The couple met as classmates at a local high school, got married in 2019 and now run a stationery store in their town. After confirming the pregnancy in November, Ohira has been going for checkups about once every two weeks. Her parents, who live in the town of Yabuki, have been taking her to the hospital while her husband works. The financial burden for the trips is not small. In addition to fuel costs, using the Tohoku Expressway incurs about ¥1,500 ($10.40) in toll fees each way. Ohira finds it troubling that there are so few OB-GYN facilities nearby. She had hoped to give birth at a medical facility closer to home, such as Shirakawa Kosei General Hospital in the city of Shirakawa, but her primary doctor recommended the one in Nasushiobara because she is expecting twins. 'I'm worried there is nowhere to go if my condition suddenly changes,' she said. Her husband also worries, saying, 'In an emergency, even a slight delay could affect the safety of both mother and children. "If there were a more reassuring environment for childbirth, it would ease our mental burden," he added. Their concerns about crossing prefectural borders for childbirth extend into the postnatal period as well. It is said that around 10% of new mothers experience postpartum depression, a condition in which feelings of sadness or anxiety occur after childbirth. However, no medical facilities in the Higashi-Shirakawa district appear to offer postpartum care services. Before reaching the stable period of her pregnancy, Ohira learned that deliveries would be suspended at Hanawa Kousei Hospital. 'Traveling to a distant hospital is going to be really difficult while taking care of two infants,' she said. For couples such as the Ohiras, the growing dearth of medical facilities capable of handling deliveries means more long-distance travel for childbirth. In response, prefectural and municipal governments have increased financial support for such couples, such as by providing them with transportation subsidies for prenatal checkups and lodging expenses so that they can stay near hospitals before the due date. Beyond just financial assistance, however, Ohira feels there is a need for support channels to provide a sense of security to expectant parents. 'If we had a local consultation desk staffed by experienced midwives or nurses who could listen to our concerns, I think that would really help pregnant women feel more secure,' she said. Ohira noted that her and her husband's visits to the out-of-prefecture hospital began with infertility treatment. Experts say expanding medical services that assist couples looking to conceive is also crucial in addition to maintaining the perinatal care system. This section features topics and issues covered by the Fukushima Minpo, the prefecture's largest newspaper. The original articles were published April 29 and April 30.
BBC News
22-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
The state-of-the art manikins training up NHS nurses and doctors
Student nurses Tracy, Briall and Misha are assessing Aria, a seven-year-old girl with tells them she does not know what is going on, explains how frightened she is and asks: "Where's mummy?"But none of this is is a high-tech manikin who forms part of a training exercise in one of several simulation rooms at Swansea University's Simulation and Immersive Learning Centre (SUSIM), one of the biggest and most advanced healthcare simulation centres in the students who train here, including future nurses, doctors, and midwives, say the environment is so realistic that they often forget it isn't reality."[Aria] is built like a child, reacts like a child and has needs like a child," said nursing student Tracy Qui. "She's also scared like a child." Just down the corridor, a surgical team is preparing to bring a new baby into the flash, monitors beep and staff dash around the labour ward."I'm just waiting for baby to cry," said the midwife, as it is delivered by C-section. "Then I'll be happy."After a few vital checks, mother and baby are reunited for their first skin-to-skin contact."Congratulations mum," said the midwife. There are broad smiles all mother and baby, in this scenario, are also high-tech manikins. The room is kitted out with the instruments and machines you would find in a real operating the smells of an operating theatre are piped in, while video images from a real hospital are projected onto the walls."You get so immersed in it - you forget you're not out in real practice," said student midwife Kellie Mills."This is a real baby in our hands and we're very protective of it." 'They can even smell the grass' The scale of the centre means it can simulate many different another simulation room, student paramedics Jojo, Rhys and Sophie are tending to a rugby player injured on a pitch."Me and the crew have come in and immobilised his spine, and to make sure there are no further injuries we're using a collar," said first year student Jojo they are trying to do this while other rugby players run around them with the crowd chanting and singing in the surrounding stands."They can even smell the grass," said Gareth Chilcott, the technician who is running the simulation from a neighbouring room. "As soon as they enter they realise they are on a rugby pitch," he added."We can also lower the temperature so that it's cold and they feel they're running into the wind. It really does heighten their senses."Lecturers who supervise the simulation can also throw in some surprises to the scenario based on the student's level of experience."They really enjoy it and almost see it as a bit of fun," said senior paramedic lecturer Jason Sadler."But when they go on placement [with the ambulance service] and come back and tell us what they had to deal with, they can really appreciate the benefits of what we put them through." 'Limitless possibilities' From hospital wards and care homes to medical emergencies in cafes or nightclubs, staff say there are no limits on what can be simulated at the facility in can even replicate healthcare settings in other countries, as happened in a recent collaboration with workers in Zambia."A lot of what we project on the walls is filmed within our local NHS but we could equally film in any country in the world," said Prof Jayne Cutter, head of the university's school of health and social care."So if we're entertaining international students, they could practice in environments that are familiar to them."The £7m facility was developed by converting a teaching block at Swansea's Singleton Park campus and establishing a second smaller site in centres are linked digitally, so everything that's happening in one can be seen in the other."We have the largest installation of immersive wall technology globally and the second largest simulation management system in Europe," said Joanne Davies, the university's head of simulation education. "I know other centres in the UK and internationally tend to have one or two of these rooms. We have 11, which means we can do mass training not only for our core students but also NHS staff and industry."Staff said the main aim of SUSIM was not to replace the real world experiences students must have before they qualify, but to supplement said some students could get overwhelmed when they first experienced a real operating theatre or busy ward."If you're not immersed in realistic surroundings you can get overloaded, what's known as cognitive overload. And sometimes when we're stressed we can even forget our own name," said Ms Davies."But here we have the sights, the sounds, the smells of realistic environments and that helps our students remember what they've learnt and transfer that into practice."Another benefit, according to the students, is that they can learn from their mistakes without fear of causing harm."We have pre-briefs and debriefs. We talk about what we've learnt," said student midwife Kellie Mills."But we have a phrase here - what happens in SUSIM stays in SUSIM - so it really is a protected environment."
