Mothers-to-be in the New South Wales Riverina town of Deniliquin fear the prospect of giving birth on the side of the road due to a shortage of midwives.
ABC Radio program The World Today obtained a letter sent to expectant mothers from the Local Health District.
It said, due to staffing shortages, there will be no weekend midwives at Deniliquin maternity unit for the next six weeks.
"Our service hours will be:
"Monday 7am – Friday 8pm OPEN
"Friday 8pm – Monday 7am CLOSED'
"As we will not be offering birthing services over the weekends, your doctor will consult with you to arrange a referral to alternative hospital of your choice to attend in case of labour during our CLOSED periods."
Deniliquin mother Melita, who is only weeks away from giving birth, was shocked when she found out there will be no midwife available if she goes into labour on a weekend.
"My doctor was great and reassured me I can go to the Emergency and they will get her there.
"But yeah, I have pretty fast labours, previously and I was just like, what if I don't make it to the next town?"
Closest hospitals too far away
The letter from the Local Health District, sent two weeks ago, tells mothers they may need to go elsewhere.
"During our CLOSED periods if you are unable to get to your back-up hospital, you may present at the Deniliquin Emergency Department for review and transfer to an appropriate hospital," the letter said.
But it's more than 200km from Deniliquin to Griffith, and more than 250km to Wagga Wagga. Echuca is 75km across the border in Victoria.
Local state MP Helen Dalton says the situation is unacceptable.
"It's also a mad dash in the middle of the night for many.
"I also know people who have hit kangaroos as well. So you can imagine your wife is in labour, your husband or partner has hit a roo, you're on the side of the road and you're stranded."
'We've made a pact'
Dr Marion Magee has been a doctor in Deniliquin since 1988. She said the shortage of midwives could place mothers and babies at risk.
"It creates a great deal of anxiety and distress, and we know women who are distressed and anxious don't do as well in labour.
"They come to me and say 'what will happen if I go into labour on a weekend?'
"We are asking women to present to the Emergency Department.
"It's always safer to deliver in a hospital than it is on the side of the road.
"We will do it between us."
Dr Magee says the lack of midwives in Deniliquin is not only distressing for patients, but for doctors and nurses too.
"It causes a thing in medical staff called moral injury.
"We're all compulsive caregivers. We all have the safety of the patient as our most paramount outcome.
"And when we have to compromise patient safety, it really creates a lot of distress."
Dr Magee said her message to NSW Health and the Health Ministers is please improve nursing staff wages.
"Put us on a parity with Victoria and Queensland," she said.
"Put us in a position where we can compete to attract locum staff."
'Just as important as the mums in the city'
Local MP Helen Dalton said NSW Health is not doing enough to deal with the staff shortages in Deniliquin and many other parts of rural NSW.
"It's just totally unacceptable for me, and I think the government want to absolve themselves from any responsibility," she said.
"Because I'm sure if it were their daughter living in Deniliquin, or further out on one of the properties, they would be very, very concerned."
Deniliquin mother Melita hopes there will be enough medical staff to ensure her baby arrives safely.
"We need more local midwives. It's very important.
"We're just as important as the mums in the city. We need our maternity unit open, 24/7."
Murrumbidgee Local Health District released a media statement that said maternity services will be provided by a GP obstetrician and midwives from Monday to Friday and an GP obstetrician on Saturday and Sunday.
