Continuity of care, bringing GPs into the fold and more visiting hours are at the top of the list for expectant mothers as part of a Goulburn Valley Health review into its maternity department.
GV Health has launched the review with the new maternity services facilities not far off opening.
Like the rest of the hospital, the maternity ward has had staff shortages in the past three years, but Shepparton mother Tessa Marnane said the health service seemed committed to improving.
She attended a public information session on Thursday at the hospital and helped spread word of a survey conducted by GV Health online.
GV Health has also been reaching out through community organisations and mothers’ groups for feedback.
Miss Marnane said the feedback she’d received from mothers who couldn’t attend the session was the desire for partners to be involved and have more visiting hours.
She also wanted one midwife to stay with an expectant mother across the whole pregnancy and more contact between GPs and GV Health over what services were available.
“The real big issue we’re having is about GPs,’’ she said.
“They often don’t know what tests we have to do and they don’t know where to refer us.
“Women are missing their tests. They’re missing their referrals.
“They’re not getting into the midwife group.”
She said GV Health should engage GPs more to educate them about what services were available to expectant mothers in the region.
Miss Marnane had her first child Alex at GV Health before giving birth to second son Leo at home with a private midwife, a service she said more people should be aware of.
She said she felt Thursday’s experience was positive.
“They were very responsive to me and the other person at my table and so it was a really positive experience,” Miss Marnane said.
“I really hoped that they’d take it on.”
GV Health maternity services manager Carmel Brophy said one midwife at the health service had taken on a customer service portfolio and was actively contacting women who visited the maternity ward to gain feedback.
“With our new maternity facilities nearing completion, we felt now was a great time to review our maternity practices and investigate how we can continue to improve,” she said.
“Consulting with women who have real life experience with our services and are able to provide valuable feedback is crucial in this process.
“At the end of the day, our service is about the women and families we take care of.
“We want to make sure we are meeting their needs and providing the care they want.”
She said the majority of women had been happy with the care provided at GV Health.
“Overwhelmingly, women have told us that they want their partner or support person to be able to stay with them in hospital, and that they value the privacy provided by single rooms,” Ms Brophy said.
“We will be looking at all of the feedback closely and thank everyone who has been involved in this process.”