To continue to provide birth services at Nambour Hospital and establish a midwifery-led program (instead of closing the unit in 2016).
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We call on Qld Health/Sunshine Coast HHS to NOT close the maternity unit at Nambour Hospital when the Sunshine Coast Public University Hospital opens at Kawana (late 2016). Closing the unit disadvantages women in the Sunshine Coast and Hinterland areas by limiting their access to maternity care and for many, significantly increasing the distance and travel time to hospital. Access to local maternity services is a key element of the National Maternity Services Plan.
Rather than closing the unit, we call on Qld Health/Sunshine Coast HHS to implement a midwife-led program continuity of midwifery care, using the existing Nambour Hospital Maternity Unit. Access to continuity of midwifery care programs is another key element of the National Maternity Services Plan and research has found that these models are popular with women, cost-effective and have improved birth outcomes.
More information on the many benefits of Continuity of Care in maternity services is available in this 2012 report from the Qld Nursing and Midwifery Office - http://www.qcmb.org.au/media/pdf/Midwives%20Imp%20guide_web.pdf
More information on the National Maternity Services Plan is available online here - http://www.maternitychoices.org.au/nmap.html and the full plan is available online here - http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/pacd-maternityservicesplan-toc~pacd-maternityservicesplan-chapter1.
For more information see Friends of the Birth Centre Sunshine Coast on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FBCSC?fref=ts