Private specialists must have access to public hospitals
A local Hospital and Health Service has knocked back an offer by two private obstetricians to treat public patients in return for being able to birth their private patients in public hospitals when the local private maternity unit closes.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman must intervene to allow private specialists to practise in public hospitals to address workforce shortages in regional areas, particularly in maternity units.
“We have welcomed many of the moves Minister Fentiman has made towards resolving regional workforce shortages, including more training places for GP obstetricians and a digital passport to make it easier for doctors to work across different hospital and health services (HHSs),” AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton said.
“However, we need her to step in and stop individual HHSs from blocking private specialists from practising in public hospitals.”
Maternity services at Cairns Private Hospital will cease on 1 November. Two local private obstetricians unsuccessfully offered to work in public hospitals across the region in return for being able to birth their private patients in Cairns or Atherton hospitals, under a similar model that was in place until 2017.
“This would have been a return to a historically successful system and should have been embraced by Queensland Health and the local HHS,” Dr Boulton said.
“It would have ensured continuity of care for pregnant women in the Cairns region, and would mean Queensland Health would not have to hire locums for its public hospitals.
“This is a short-sighted decision by local bureaucrats that must be overturned. Minister Fentiman must use her authority to ensure private specialists are no longer locked out of our public hospitals.
“Metro North Health has effectively blocked private obstetricians from practising at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital since early 2022.
“Private preterm patients can only be admitted to RBWH and the Mater, as they are the only hospitals in Brisbane with neonatal intensive care units.
“However, if they are admitted to RBWH, they must be referred to a public doctor, which only increases the burden on the public hospital system.
“This must be considered as part of Queensland Health’s Women and Girls Health Strategy. Women must be given real choice around birth models. The current system is narrow and biased towards midwife-led models, which do not suit the needs and preferences of all families.
“We are calling on Minister Fentiman to urgently resolve this bureaucratic block to patient care.”
