I was chatting with a midwife who works at a local public hospital after church yesterday.

She told me they have been very busy. She said last year they had the highest number of births on record.

The increased number of maternity bookings at this public hospital is not good news for this hospital’s patients. I suspect there would be no more staff or increased facilities to cope with more patients. An increase in confinement numbers would adversely affects this hospital’s quality of care, results in a reduction in the duration of postnatal hospital stay of patients, etc.

The midwife’s comments don’t surprise me with consideration of current economic crisis and the considerable financial pressure on so many couples. She agreed. She said many of this hospital’s maternity patients, with whom she has had discussion, told her they wanted to be private but could not afford it or they were private last pregnancy but could not afford to go private this time. She said many said to her they did not want to go public for pregnancy care.

Sadly, I have seen so many women who have gone public before coming to me who have regretted that decision because of poor quality of care received, lack of personalised care and avoidable complications of childbirth.

There is a blind assumption by many (especially husbands) that all pregnancy care is the same and of the same quality. It is not the case. There is huge difference between public and private. As well, there is a considerable difference in the quality of private care when comparing a less experienced obstetrician and a very experienced obstetrician.

The people who I consider are feeling the financial pressures of the current economic climate the most are couples who are starting or wanting to start or continue their family. Typically they have considerable mortgage loan repayment or rent commitments. as well, they are struggling to pay household expenses such as food, petrol, road tolls, energy bills, etc. I am very upset for such couples. I don’t think the Federal Government has been listening to them and has not been acting in ways that have significantly helped. As well, I can think of a number of Federal Government initiatives which are responsible for their financial situations being worse. It is very upsetting that pregnancy care is in the most expensive tier of health fund cover. This should be changed by legislation, so private pregnancy care is more affordable.

I recently did a calculation. If you want to have baby now and you want to be a private patient it is cheaper to be self-funded than joining a health fund and waiting until your health fund cover starts. I am getting an increasing number of patients doing this. This calculation is on the assumption that are no complications such as baby needing to be admitted to SCBU. For most women your baby will not need SCBU admission.

I did a recent post on this topic titled ‘Self-funding private pregnancy care’. I suggest you have a read. Click over the article name to go to the artlcle. I you want to discuss being self-funded for pregancy care please chat with my secretary or book a ‘meet and greet’ appointment with me (no referral needed and no fee).

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