Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about an important health service in my electorate, the Bentley obstetrics service. I recently got hold of Report on review of maternity services in metropolitan non-tertiary public hospitals in Western Australia, and that is what the Bentley Hospital comes under. The report was about a review of the current provision of maternity services in WA metropolitan non-tertiary hospitals, which was undertaken and tabled back in May 2015. The emphasis was on safety, quality, staffing and efficiency in the management of low-, moderate and medium-risk pregnancies.

Part of the report is of interest to my constituents, particularly in Swan and around the Bentley area: in 2014 Bentley Hospital undertook 1,045 births—an increase of 162 from 883 in 2012-13. These were low-risk deliveries in CSF 3 facility. The nursery facility is also CSF 3 or level 1. The model of care is predominantly medical, consisting of specialist and GP obstetric care. In the report they say that now the Fiona Stanley Hospital is open this service should be closed. But I remind the Minister for Health in WA that he did say in a speech back in February 2012, in the Western Australian parliament, that once the target reached 1,000 deliveries he would consider upgrading that facility and not closing it.