Pregnant women living in the Illawarra's booming family growth areas around Shellharbour will still have to travel to Wollongong Hospital to give birth when the new $700m Shellharbour Hospital opens in five years time.
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The decision not to have a birthing unit and maternity ward at the new hospital has angered local politicians and women's health campaigners, who say it is shortsighted given the area's population growth.
However, the health district says as "worldwide shortage" of midwives and obstetric staff is behind their decision.
Independent Kiama MP Gareth Ward has started a petition to call for a maternity ward at the new hospital, and Labor's Anna Watson wants the hospital to have a maternity ward and palliative care unit for under 18-year-olds.
Illawarra Women's Health Centre CEO Sally Stevenson said it was "deeply worrying" that a birthing unit hasn't been factored in, and was concerned Wollongong hospital was already struggling to cope with demand.
Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District chief Margot Mains and obstetrics and maternity director Dr Henry Murray said there would be pre and post birth care at the new hospital.
This will include midwifery and doctor clinics, in-home ante-natal and post-natal services, lactation support clinics, gynaecology clinics, women's health physiotherapy and childbirth education classes.
"Birthing services will remain at Wollongong Hospital due to the specialist services and staff that are required to maintain a safe birthing facility," they said.
"Birthing services cannot be provided at the new Shellharbour Hospital in the short to medium term because of a lack of speciality staff needed to deliver safe patient care. Compounding the issue is the current local and worldwide shortage of midwifery, obstetric and other birthing support clinicians available to work within birthing units."
They said there may be an opportunity for expanded or new services in the future.
Ms Stevenson questioned the assertion that staffing would be an issue, given that the hospital was five years away from opening, allowing time to fund workforce solutions
"They have five years to build this hopsital - so I find the workforce argument very thin and not robust - there are solutions than can be started now," she said.
"I guess my question is, will Wollongong - which is under enormous pressure - be able to cope. And it's a long way when you're in an emergency [birth] from Gerringong to Wollongong."
Ms Stevenson also said she worried a lack of a birthing unit and maternity ward reflected the absence of a gender analysis at the new hospital.
"We know the specifics of women's health become invisible, because services are designed on the average male population, so we're very concerned that there has not been a robust gender analysis done on the needs of women," she said.
"We need to look at women's health needs across their lifespan. This week the National Women's Health and Wellbeing scorecard was issued by Monash, and it shows that we are going downhill in terms of women's health."
Mr Ward said it was time to bring back Shellharbour's maternity services, after they were closed under the former Labor government.
"I get it," he said. "We need obstetricians to ensure a safe maternity unit and these specialists are very hard to attract to the regions.
"But given the growth in the southern Illawarra, it is necessary that the Health Department ensure these services are available rather than mums having to travel to Wollongong."
Ms Watson has urged people to have their say about the new hospital at any upcoming information sessions.
"With so many young families moving to the area, I will be pushing for both a maternity ward and children's palliative care unit to be built within the new hospital," she said.