Private hospitals, insurers need to lift game: Health Minister says at new eastern suburbs birthing centre

Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson has hit out at private hospitals and insurers for cutting off West Aussies from services, as she opened the first midwife-lead birthing centre in the public health system.

Speaking at the unveiling of Bentley Hospital’s new midwifery birth centre, Ms Sanderson said the facility would give expectant mothers more options in the public system -- with continuous care now available for the first time.

The service comes as a number of private hospitals — including St John of God and Ramsay Health Care — have consolidated their maternity services, limiting the number of locations women can give birth at.

Asked on Monday if the public system was being forced to pick up the slack from fewer private operators, Ms Sanderson said it was more a problem for people who paid for private health insurance.

“West Australians take up private health insurance at a greater rate than anyone else in the country. We are good citizens, and we pay for our private health insurance,” she said.

“What we’re seeing is private health insurers and the private hospitals scale down the range of services available to them. That’s who it’s a problem for.

“It’s actually consumers and patients who are disadvantaged here who pay good money for their private health insurance and then don’t have those services available to them.”

Ms Sanderson said she had raised the issues with private operators, which had “shifted the dynamic” on issues of service provision.

“It is frustrating to me that I often hear private hospitals complain about viability or loss, when actually this is all about patients. It’s all about access to care for patients who pay for private health insurance,” she said.

“I am seeing better engagement from the private providers and the health insurers ... health insurers have a big role to play here. They have very healthy bank balances.

“They need to ensure that their customers, who pay for their who pay for their insurance and pay their premiums every year are provided with access to the services that they’re paying for.”

Under the new service at Bentley, mothers-to-be will be seen by the same midwife for their entire pregnancy, even moving hospitals if a transfer is necessary.

The new $2.6 million centre includes two birth suites — with a large birthing pool, a consultation room, a family space and a midwife hub.

The new service was expected to be used by up to 40 expectant mothers a year, with bookings full until June. Ms Sanderson said she hoped to copy the model to other public hospitals, flagging the soon to be expanded Osborne Park as a prime location.