Response to RANZCOG Statement

Media Relaease: 11 August 2005

The Council of Remote Area Nurses of Australia (CRANA) and the Association for Australian Rural Nurses today rejected the statement released by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) calling for all women to give birth within or adjacent to maternity units that have 24 hour obstetric and anaesthetic cover, operating theatres, blood products and more.

The College statement implies that safe childbirth cannot occur without such services being onsite. Dr Sue Kildea, Vice President of CRANA states there is strong evidence that supports the safety of small maternity units:

‘More importantly we have strong international evidence eg; from Northern Canada showing that birth can occur in very remote locations safely and with improved outcomes for the Indigenous families living in these areas’.

CRANA and AARN believe that women should be informed of issues, such as limitations of remote based services and offered the option to choose – rather than being compelled – to have maternity care in a larger centre.

‘We believe obstetricians need to be reminded of the social and economic impact on women and their families of having to be transferred to a regional centre, without family support, sometimes for weeks at a time and in some cases at their own expense’.

We do strongly support the statement that ‘we must put more effort and resources into proper audit of our support systems for women having babies, even more so if we intend to make changes to our care options’.

In Australia there has been an unprecedented closure of small maternity units over the last 10 years, almost all in rural and remote areas. These units are an important part of the fabric of small communities, often serving as a gateway for further health care. We urge that these closures be ceased until we have better evidence about the physical, economic, emotional and cultural consequences of relocating women to regional centres for maternity care including birth.

Women in rural and remote Australia have been asking for birthing services closer to home for many years, yet policy makers choose to listen to the powerful medical lobby over the voices of women. It is time to consider all aspects of the risk equation.

For further information contact:
Dr Sue Kildea, Vice President of the Council of Remote Area Nurses of Australia (CRANA) on 0418239199.

Professor Karen Francis, President of the Association for Australian Rural Nurses (AARN) 0407080 859