Women's Hospital Dangerously Overloaded

[Olive]

It's a fairly obvious thing to happen though:
Open a big new state-of-the-art hospital for dealing with high-risk situations.

All the scared people want to have their low-risk pregnancies cared for at the big hospital "to be safe".

The hospital is over-subscribed by people without need. Overworked doctors end up treating everyone as high risk because there's no time for case-by-case reviews of women's situations. The hospital becomes dangerous for low risk women AND high risk women.
If people realised that hospital is for high-risk people and that the best way "to be safe" is to get APPROPRIATE care, rather than over-blown unnecessary care, these things would happen less.

exactly what i have been thinking!
they need to lower their intake low risk births and refer people back to their local hospitals and only take those in the immediate area and those classed as high risk, this is what this hospital should be used for HIGH RISK, not everybody who wants a new public hospital with their own room!

[diva det]

I wanted to go to Frances Perry (the private part of the Womens) to birth this baby, and my OB strongly recommended against it as the Womens was so understaffed and resources. He said that if I needed CTG or any other monitoring, then the wait is horrendous. He stated that they have 150 outpatients appointments at a time, yet their is only 90 chairs for expectant mums to sit on!!!
He agreed to book me in there in case i went early and needed a level 3 nursery ( I did last time) but i have also booked into St Vincents (with a doula!) as well.

The conditions that the staff had to work under are terrible- they are so stretched it is not funny! So much for streamlining the system and making the resources that we have, more accessable and productivity- moving the womens and Frances Perry has been the worse move for women and birth that this government has made!!!
It has taken it backwards! not forwards! I loved the old Frances Perry. My twins were there for 33 days so i got to know the place really well, but unless something go wrong and i go before 34 weeks, I wont be going back there again!

[Nai]

The Royal Women's Hospital IS my local hospital - I am within walking distance so I don't really have a choice

[paradise lost]

Nai, homebirth? Or is there a birth centre or anything like that?

Bx

[Nai]

Nai, homebirth? Or is there a birth centre or anything like that?

I am going for a VBAC this time (after an unplanned c/s last time) and I have a doula and my very supportive OB - I am also going to be in the private part of RWH which is Frances Perry so I am sure it will all be ok I trust my support team!

[paradise lost]

Ah, see, it sounds like you've really done your planning - i bet you have a fabulous birth Also i can see why VBACing women WOULD want to be in a place like this, but i bet there's a bunch of non-local multipara's with straightforward vaginal births behind them booked for no other reason than "to be safe"... Looks like a review of the care system is needed!

[Toomanytoomany]

Ah, see, it sounds like you've really done your planning - i bet you have a fabulous birth Also i can see why VBACing women WOULD want to be in a place like this, but i bet there's a bunch of non-local multipara's with straightforward vaginal births behind them booked for no other reason than "to be safe"... Looks like a review of the care system is needed!

Given that they are a public hospital, is that even possible, though? You just get put with the hospital in your catchment area, I thought. I was certainly not accepted to a number of hospitals because I wasn't "in their area" and not high risk.

[Olive]

The Royal Women's Hospital IS my local hospital - I am within walking distance so I don't really have a choice

exactly nai!! your local, the way it should be!!