Women have continued to experience birth trauma at Wollongong Hospital in recent months, but as the state inquiry into the widespread issue held it final hearing in Sydney, local advocates say they are confident change is on its way.
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Attending the last hearing of the Inquiry Into Birth Trauma in NSW Parliament on April 8, Better Births Illawarra vice-president Sharon Settecasse said her group, which has been pivotal in exposing the extend of birth trauma from local women, was still hearing of new cases.
"This inquiry has acknowledged that birth trauma is real but we're still receiving more inbox messages about women experiencing trauma at the hospital - feeling pressured and not being treated well and not being listened to," she said.
"We firmly believe that Wollongong is stepping in the right direction and on the path to improving services, but there is a long way to go.
"Women are still experiencing trauma at the hands of their healthcare providers."
Ms Settecasse acknowledged there had been a strong shift since the health district's public apology in September.
There were also many positive stories, she said, including Midwifery Group Practice (which provides continuous care from the same midwife) starting at Shoalhaven Hospital and having consultants working on cultural change at Wollongong Hospital.
"They're taking it really seriously and we really felt a shift in that hearing in Wollongong in September," she said.
Ms Settecasse also said it was important that the response to birth trauma was considered and long-lasting.
"We appreciate that there's no knee jerk reactions because we want solid long-term sustainable solutions because that's what's gonna change things for our families in the Illawarra and the Shoalhaven," she said.
'Echoes of similar solutions' to birth trauma at each hearing
As more women shared their stories of trauma at Monday's hearing, Ms Settecasse said patterns had emerged during the seven days of hearings held since mid-2023.
"This morning, it was actually really harrowing to listen to their testimonies of two more women - there were quite a few tears in the room," she said.
"In a way, that's fitting for how the hearing should end because it's been an emotional journey, and it's not just about policy and solutions.
"This is about people's lives, their relationships, their ongoing feelings of dignity and safety and it highlighted that we need to listen to women, and they need to be the central part of the care that they're receiving."
She said this had shown the importance of women receiving appropriate information, the use of consent and trauma informed care during pregnancy and birth, and the need for women to be able to access continuity of care by a known midwife.
"We're just seeing echoes in every hearing of similar solutions shared, which is really heartening," Ms Settecasse said.
"It means that the minister, and whoever is implementing this, has a framework to go by."
She said Illawarra women who had spoken at past hearings and put in submissions were ending the inquiry with hope that things would get better.
"It's been a mixed bag, but the majority have said it has felt like they're contributing to something bigger than themselves and to improve birth for women and for the next generations and it's been worth it," she said.
"We feel really hopeful and confident that the recommendations are going to be very strong, and we're so looking forward to working with NSW Health and our local health district to to help implement the recommendations."
'We've got to do better': Health Minister
Health Minister Ryan Park also said he was eagerly awaiting the recommendations from the inquiry, which he showed many women had been left with "significant trauma" at the hands of the health system.
"I've made it clear that [at] NSW Health we've got to do better," he said.
"I've got to be honest, Wollongong Hospital was not a strong performer in relation to this.
"I've been working very, very closely with the team at Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. We're hoping to start to see some improvement in that but we've got a long way to go."
The inquiry is due to report back to parliament in June.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
