Community rallies against Epworth Geelong maternity closure

GEELONG doctors and obstetricians have warned of “tragic” consequences for Geelong’s mothers of the future if Epworth Geelong’s maternity unit shuts for good in less than six weeks.

About 80 people, many of them parents with children, gathered at the Armstrong Creek East Community Hub on Monday this week in opposition to the private hospital group’s proposed March 1 closure because of staff shortages, first announced in November.

Speakers at the rally included doctors from local medical practices that use Epworth Geelong’s maternity unit, as well as Epworth staff.

Dr Elise Davey from the Kensington Hill Medical Centre, who started a petition urging Epworth HealthCare to reconsider that now has nearly 14,000 signatures, said the “very symbolic” empty chair for a representative of Epworth HealthCare at the front of the room was representative of the lack of engagement from the hospital’s executive team about the proposed closure.

“I know of dozens of doctors, GPs, GP/obstetricians, anesthetists, other hospital specialists, who have written with their concerns – both about the planned closure of the unit and its impact on the community and how it’ll affect our colleagues in the system – and to date, not one of them has even got a response. They haven’t even got an acknowledgement, let alone a phone call.”

She said the Geelong region needed the capacity of Epworth Geelong’s maternity unit.

“I do not personally believe the public system will be able to absorb 600 births a year without it causing significant blowouts.”

Dr Kara Thompson from OGB Surfcoast said her conversations with expectant mothers revealed continuity of care and choice were the two most important things for them.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say it would be a tragedy for the next generation of women in our region, from the west side of Melbourne all the way through to Colac, the implications are huge.”

Epworth midwife Rebecca Atkinson said Epworth HealthCare had run some focus groups with hospital staff as part of its consultation.

“We’re constantly being told the decision won’t be made at a Geelong level, it’ll be at a Melbourne level, but I haven’t had any engagement with anyone from the Melbourne executive team, nor do I know if the ideas that my team and I have collated and presented are great ideas.”

Political representatives in the room included Opposition Leader John Pesutto (who briefly spoke towards the end of the rally), South Barwon Labor MP Darren Cheeseman, Polwarth Liberal MP Richard Riordan, Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier, Liberal Western Victorian Region MPs Bev McArthur and Joe McCracken, Victorian Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson and a representative from the office of Corangamite Labor federal member Libby Coker.

Senator Henderson and Mr Riordan have launched a petition of their own opposing the closure, and Ms Coker and Mr Cheeseman said on Tuesday that they would write a joint letter to the Epworth executive asking them to respond to stakeholders.

An Epworth Geelong spokeperson said the hospital group was “continuing consultation with impacted staff and doctors”.

“Consultation has included regular forums and one on one discussions with staff, obstetricians and paediatricians. We have also regularly communicated to the referring general practice community throughout the consultation period.

“We expect consultation to be completed later this month, with a decision to be made soon after.”