Petition is successful with 1,259 signatures
To: Jim McGowan, Chair of Metro North HHS Board
End women’s trauma at the RBWH
Metro North management reversed their decision to co-locate the wards.
Metro North HHS must immediately reverse their harmful and insensitive decision to place maternity and gynaecology patients together in the same unit.
Why is this important?
Right now, women who are suffering miscarriages, pregnancy terminations, hysterectomies, sexual violence and more are being co-located in the same ward as families celebrating the birth of their newborns, and are surrounded by the sound of newborns crying. It’s a traumatising situation for these vulnerable women and the staff caring for them, and has led to serious adverse psychological and emotional effects on families and staff alike.
Despite fierce opposition from RBWH midwives, nurses and patients, Metro North HHS management continues to ignore the needs of women.
Management initially claimed that this co-location was an emergency “temporary measure” due to COVID-19. Then management suddenly announced the co-location as permanent. Despite the arrangements being entirely inconsistent with obstetric and gynaecological best practice guidelines, no effort has been made to find a suitable location for these patients and staff, despite there being alternatives available.
Such callous disregard for the wellbeing of women is unacceptable anywhere, and certainly has no place in Queensland’s preeminent Women’s Hospital.
We call on HHS management to find a safe and appropriate location for gynaecology patients that enables health staff to provide women-centred care, and which adheres to The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Standards for Gynaecological Care.