A New Maternity Unit Sits Empty as Rural Families Travel for Care

A brand-new maternity unit in the Australian town of Gunnedah is sitting unused, leaving expectant mothers to travel to larger regional hospitals because the local facility cannot find enough specialist doctors to provide birthing services.

A New Facility That Families Cannot Use

Gunnedah Hospital in northern New South Wales underwent a $53 million redevelopment, including a new birthing suite and maternity facilities unveiled in January.

But despite the new facilities, women are currently unable to give birth there because the hospital has been unable to recruit general practitioner obstetricians.

Local midwives continue to support women during pregnancy and help them make plans to give birth at hospitals in Tamworth or Newcastle.

Carmen Carslake Had Expected to Give Birth Nearby

For Carmen Carslake, the closure meant travelling much farther than expected when she was pregnant with her son, Parker.

Carslake lives in Boggabri, about 40 kilometres from Gunnedah. Instead of giving birth in the newly renovated hospital, she had to travel to Tamworth, which could take at least an hour.

She said the uncertainty about reaching hospital in time was stressful, and she ultimately chose a caesarean birth partly because she did not want to risk going into labour while still far from maternity care.

A Wider Problem Across Regional Areas

Gunnedah is not the only regional community experiencing pressure on maternity services.

Women in Tumut are currently travelling more than 100 kilometres to Wagga Wagga for care, while the maternity ward at Parkes has remained unused since 2019. Scone is also searching for a replacement doctor as its current GP obstetrician prepares to retire.

Health experts say recruiting doctors with obstetric training has become increasingly difficult in regional Australia.

Why Rural Maternity Care Is Under Pressure

Elizabeth Jackson, president of the National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said there are not enough GP obstetricians entering training to replace doctors who are retiring.

She said regional communities need stronger incentives to attract and retain specialist doctors, as losing one maternity service can place additional pressure on neighbouring towns.

Families Are Still Waiting for Local Care

For families in Gunnedah, the new maternity facilities represent what local care could look like if enough medical staff were available.

The federal government says a National Maternity Workforce Strategy is being developed, while the local health district says it continues to offer incentives including relocation assistance, housing, leave and training opportunities.

Until more doctors can be recruited, however, families in the region will continue travelling beyond their own town to access maternity care.

Source: ABC News.