Teething problems at new Centenary Hospital - ABC Online

Updated November 15, 2012 20:31:17

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher has ordered a review into the operation of the maternity services at the new Centenary Hospital, amid concerns women are being pushed out just six hours after giving birth.

After opening just three months ago, the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children is already working close to capacity.

The state of the art facility brings together women's and children's services under one roof, but it does not include any extra in-patient maternity beds.

The new hospital was built on the model that the majority of women would be discharged within 24 hours of giving birth, but that has not been happening.

Ms Gallagher says she is fielding complaints from both mothers and midwives.

"What I don't want is after six hours, mums being asked, when they've had a healthy delivery, saying well you need to pack up your things now," she said.

"That's not what we built that hospital for, that's not what it's intended to do.

"We wanted it to be a centre of excellence for maternity services.

"I think it will be, but we are working through some early feedback after moving to that model of care."

She says she has ordered a review of the model of care to see what changes can be made.

Clinical Director of Obstetrics and Genecology Dr Steven Adair says the birthing suite is working at capacity.

"We're now doing over 3,000 births per year," he said.

"A number that was previously predicted by the health planners that we would not achieve until 2014."

Australian Nursing Federation ACT branch secretary Jenny Miragaya says hospital plans should have factored in the increase in birth rates.

"I would have thought that the Canberra Hospital, knowing that it had a 5 per cent increase in births every year for the last five years, would be requiring additional capacity for in-patient beds," she said.

The Australian Medical Association's Dr Andrew Miller agrees, saying the current model needs reviewing.

"I think that the planning that was done was set up around the basis that the model of care would accommodate into the new building, but it hasn't worked out that way," he said.

Topics: states-and-territories, womens-health, healthcare-facilities, act, canberra-2600

First posted November 15, 2012 16:56:30