Milton Ulladulla Hospital – Birthing Services
Frequently Asked Questions
August 2016
1. What do the changes mean to the maternity service at Milton Ulladulla Hospital
(MUH)?
From July 1 birthing services won’t be available at MUH. All births will be referred to the
maternity team at Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital (SDMH) – which provides a
higher level of specialist obstetric care for woman across the Shoalhaven region.
To better support local women before and after giving birth, antenatal clinics, classes
and postnatal services for newborns at Milton will be strengthened. Specialist
obstetricians from Shoalhaven will continue to work with local midwives to provide a
weekly antenatal clinic at Milton and local midwives will be available to provide support
and information to pregnant women and their families.
2. I live in the Milton Ulladulla area and I’m thinking of having a baby. What does this
mean for me?
While you are pregnant, the team at Milton will look after your care including the
development of a birth plan. This details the birthing experience you are aiming for and
provides guidance on when you should leave home to travel to the hospital, for example.
During your antenatal care at Milton you will also have access to birthing classes as well
as specialist obstetricians, who visit from Shoalhaven and work with local midwives to
provide a weekly antenatal clinic.
As Milton cannot currently accommodate birthing services, your baby will be born at
Shoalhaven Hospital.
Following delivery, you and your newborn will have access to postnatal services from
Milton.
3. Why has this occurred? Is it a funding issue?
This decision has been made on the basis of safety – not a lack of funding.
There have been a number of comprehensive reviews into the provision of birthing
services at MUH after three significant incidents, involving women giving birth,
highlighted safety as a key concern. These reviews have helped guide our decision to
cease birthing services for now; given the safety issues are still present. Our decision
was also influenced by the unavailability of sufficient doctors to continue to provide a GP
obstetrician roster at the Hospital.
Milton is a small rural facility and cannot provide services that are beyond its clinical
capability and, at the moment, birthing is not able to be accommodated safely.
Decisions about the future of local services are never easy, especially in small
communities like Milton Ulladulla. We also appreciate that being able to access services
as close to home as possible is something the community expects, but as a health
service, we have a responsibility to balance that expectation with services that are
appropriate for the community and that can be safely delivered within the hospital’s
clinical capacity.
Milton Ulladulla Hospital – Birthing Services FAQs
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Milton Ulladulla Hospital – Birthing Services
Frequently Asked Questions
August 2016
4. Will any staff lose their jobs?
No. Midwives will continue to deliver antenatal and postnatal services from Milton
Ulladulla and be involved in improved integration with Shoalhaven Hospital’s maternity
services. They will also have the opportunity to take part in speciality skills maintenance
programs.
5. What happens if I go into labour early?
When developing your birth plan, one of the factors that will be addressed is when you
should leave home to get to hospital with plenty of time; this will vary for individual
women and their circumstances.
Should you have concerns, call Shoalhaven Hospital (SDMH) Maternity on 4421 3834
immediately. You will speak to one of the midwives on duty, who will be able to call up
your details. The midwife will advise you:
 If it’s safe to stay at home
 If you should go to MUH Emergency Department (for minor pregnancy-related
issue or a non-obstetric emergency)
 If you should go directly to SDMH maternity, for an obstetric emergency.
If you need ambulance call triple 000.
The GPs on-call at MUH are able to provide general care not specialised obstetric care.
As GP obstetricians are no longer available at MUH, obstetric emergencies are best
managed by Shoalhaven’s Emergency Department.
6. I am pregnant. Who can I phone if I have concerns or questions?
You can contact SDMH Maternity on 4421 3834 (24-hours a day, 7-days a week) for any
question related to your pregnancy.
7. Will Shoalhaven Hospital (SDMH) be able to cope with the increase in births?
The majority of births for women in Milton and Ulladulla are already being delivered at
SDMH and the community can be assured that the additional births can be safely
accommodated at Shoalhaven.
Birthing services have not been available at MUH since 1 July, following the
unavailability of sufficient doctors to continue to provide a GP Obstetrician roster. The
births planned for MUH have been referred to SDMH and the obstetricians at
Shoalhaven are working with MUH to ensure a smooth transition to the new
arrangements.
Please note: these questions and answers are for general information. Any specific concerns
or questions relating to individual care should be referred to your treating clinician.
Milton Ulladulla Hospital – Birthing Services FAQs
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