President update: regional maternity services

As it often happens in our membership organisation, the advocacy we provide to members of one region can have positive flow-on effects for members across the state. 

We’ve been activity working with our Central Queensland members and the state government to restore maternity services in Gladstone since the unit was put on bypass in July last year, knowing that many other regional maternity services are also understaffed and hanging on by a thread.  In direct response to our sustained pressure both behind the scenes and in front of media, Queensland Health has developed short-term initiatives to alleviate obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) workforce shortages across Queensland.

Those initiatives have been outlined in a letter that Queensland Health Chief Operating Officer Dr David Rosengren has asked me to share with you. They include: 

• A Medical Maternity Working Group to focus on workforce shortages.
• Flexible employment models that will enable doctors with advanced obstetrics skills to work in public hospital maternity units.
• Award incentives, including locum equivalent rates, for Queensland Health employed and credentialed medical practitioners to support short- term rotational deployments to regional Queensland Health maternity services.

Register your interest

I’m pleased to see Queensland Health is acting on our advice and I encourage any members with O&G qualifications to register their interest in participating in these Queensland Health initiatives, including GP obstetricians within our ranks.

I know many of you are very passionate about appropriately resourcing regional maternity services. Last month I represented AMA Queensland, along with Dr Gino Pecoraro, at the Queensland Health Workforce Forum for Women’s Health. I saw other passionate members at that forum and I thank all members who attended for taking an active role in this critical issue. 

Long-term solutions still critical

As your peak body for all Queensland doctors, we know Queensland Health also needs to implement a long-term sustainable workforce solution to ensure patient services don’t suffer. AMA Queensland’s 2023-24 Pre-Budget Submission demands urgent and immediate investment in women’s health, prioritising obstetrics, gynaecology and our workforce including:

• $800,000 in immediate funding to support at least 20 GPs to undertake RANZCOG’s Diploma or Advanced Diploma of Obstetrics for General Practitioners.
• A robust pathway for GP shared care.
• Urgent implementation of state-wide credentialing for all public health staff.

I invite you to read the letter from Queensland Health COO Dr David Rosengren. 

Yours sincerely
Dr Maria Boulton
AMA Queensland President