Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

Twelve years might be a good point to make here! I am aware of the issue at Pambula Hospital. In fact, the reason that I am acutely aware of it is that the member for Eden-Monaro has been very persistent in raising this issue with me, which is what you would expect local members to do.

As we have been at pains to point out many times in this House, we do not have the answer to immediately and magically be able to fix every problem in the health system on day one. We do, however, have a long-term commitment to making sure that hospital services are available in our community. We believe strongly that women should be able to have their babies as close to home as they safely can—and I am due to receive, before Christmas, our maternity services review, which has been conducted by the newly appointed Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer.

We are determined to fix this long term. I know that puts pressure on individual members from time to time, when decisions are made, not by us, that have an effect on the community. But this needs to be fixed long term and we are committed to doing that. We, unlike those opposite, took action very quickly upon getting elected to get advice to make sure that the decisions we make for a whole range of obstetrics and maternity services are sustainable long into the future—and that is not just in Pambula; it is in many other places across the country—and we will continue to take that action.

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