Mothers and their newborn babies will not be able to transfer to Dubbo Private Hospital’s postnatal unit after giving birth at the city’s public hospital from December 22.
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Dubbo Private Hospital chief executive officer Julie Whinfield has announced that it will cease offering postnatal services three days before Christmas. She has identified “sustained low occupancy of postnatal patients” as the reason for the permanent shutdown.
The community is being told that there will be “no job losses” and postnatal patients will have access to services “without disruption” until December 22.
Ms Whinfield said the decision to stop providing postnatal services followed “intensive, ongoing discussion with doctors and stakeholders”. "Despite all of our efforts to increase postnatal occupancy over the past 18 months, this has not improved and unfortunately we have no other choice than to cease the service,” she said.
Ms Whinfield maintained privately-insured patients would not be impacted as they could “continue to access private beds at Dubbo Hospital”. "Further, patients in need of medical, surgical and rehabilitation services can continue to access these at Dubbo Private Hospital, without any impact on the best practice clinical services and patient care we provide,” she said.
Despite all of our efforts to increase postnatal occupancy over the past 18 months, this has not improved and unfortunately we have no other choice than to cease the service.
- Dubbo Private Hospital chief executive officer Julie Whinfield
Dubbo Private Hospital’s website is yet to reflect the looming change. “Our seven-bed postnatal unit and fully-equipped nursery offers support and expert care to mothers and babies,” it reports. “Mothers and babies can be cared for in this unit following their delivery at the Dubbo Base Hospital or after an elective caesarean at Dubbo Private.”
The $91.3 million stage one and two redevelopment of Dubbo’s public hospital included construction of a new maternity unit that opened in November 2015. Dubbo Private is one of 35 hospitals run by Healthe Care Australia, purchased in 2016 by major global company Luye Medical Group.