Expectant mums in the Douglas Region will have to keep travelling at least an hour for birthing services, with Health Minister Lawrence Springborg listing Beaudesert, Cooktown and Weipa as his priorities for reinstating the birthing services in the near future.

The news came during Mr Springborg’s announcement yesterday of a new regional and remote health services strategy. He said the decision 12 months ago to return birthing services to Beaudesert by July 2014 is an example of the type of changes that will take place.

The Minister said his commitment to rural Queensland was all about putting patients first, though the Douglas region has been without local birthing services since Mossman’s hospital ceased providing full maternity in 2003.

With local expectant mothers forced to travel at least an hour to Cairns or an hour and a half to Mareeba to give birth, the region has been pushing for reintroduction.

Earlier this year, when The Newsport asked the Mr Springborg if the Newman Government had any intention of returning full maternity services to Mossman, he said a decision would have to be made locally. It would be up to the Douglas Shire Multi Purpose Health Service board to decide if and when full maternity services returned to Mossman hospital.

Mr Springborg told The Newsport the Rural and Remote Birthing Summit in mid-March highlighted the need for mothers throughout Queensland to have more control over their maternity care, with options for rural and remote mothers to give birth safely and closer to home. Since 2003, Douglas region babies are only delivered at Mossman in emergency situations, with patients usually transferred to Cairns post-birth if required.  

Read the full Newsport article from March 25 at <link birthing-backflip-for-mossman-despite-su.9212.0.html>www.tourismportdouglas.com.au/Birthing-backflip-for-Mossman-despite-su.9212.0.html

The Government's new strategy, 'The Rural and Remote Health Service Framework and Planning Process', can be accessed from http://www.health.qld.gov.au/hsp