Rouse Hill Hospital in Sydney’s north-west will include a birthing service in a $120 million election funding pledge by the Federal and State Labor Governments.
The new $700 million Rouse Hill Hospital was being built without birthing services. If re-elected, Labor says that will now change.
It follows community advocacy for birthing services at Rouse Hill Hospital and Shellharbour Hospital, two major public hospitals being built without birthing units.
While the announcement is good news for North West Sydney, the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre wants a similar commitment to the women in Shellharbour.
“The funding for Rouse Hill proves that when governments prioritise community need, and take women’s health seriously, things can get done,” said Sally Stevenson, Executive Director of the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre.
“So why is Shellharbour still waiting? Our region is growing just as fast, and yet women here are forced to travel up to an hour to give birth – and this won’t change even with the building of the new Shellharbour Hospital. It’s not safe, it’s not equitable, and it’s not good enough. We need urgent investment in birthing services at Shellharbour Hospital – no more excuses.”
Shellharbour Hospital currently does not offer birthing or emergency maternity services. Women in labour must travel to Wollongong or Nowra to give birth, raising ongoing concerns from local health advocates about safety, access and equity.
Announcing the funding for Rouse Hill Hospital, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the commitment would ensure women in one of Sydney’s fastest-growing regions can give birth closer to home.
“This is about delivering the health services growing communities need,” he said. “We’re making the largest investment in Medicare in more than 40 years – more free GP visits, more urgent care clinics, and now birthing services at Rouse Hill.”
The Illawarra Women’s Health Centre has been campaigning for maternity services at Shellharbour, pointing to increasing population growth, long travel times, the need for best practice health care for women and the pressure on Wollongong Hospital as key reasons for local maternity-led birthing services there.
“This is a win for Rouse Hill and shows what can happen when governments invest in local care,” said Ms Stevenson.
“But the same logic applies here – Shellharbour is growing and needs maternity services too.”
“We do not want to see one single maternal death in Shellharbour because the Government chose not to include this critical service.”
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the Minns Government is delivering on promises where previous governments did not, including building a hospital at Rouse Hill with an emergency department and maternity care.
“With the help of a re-elected Albanese Labor Government, we’re going to build it with birthing services. Thanks to Labor Governments, the fast-growing North West of Sydney will have access to full birthing and maternity services at Rouse Hill.”
Shellharbour advocates are now looking to him and the Prime Minister to do the same in the Illawarra.
