Health Minister Roger Cook today formally announced that the Maternity Unit of the Bentley Health Service will remain open and further guaranteed its operation for at least another five years.
The Minister said the unit played a vital role in the local community – last year more than 800 babies were born at Bentley Hospital.
Bentley Health Service is noted for the extremely diverse population base that it serves, with 70 per cent of women who use the maternity facilities not having English as their first language.
The maternity unit comprises 23 beds, in addition to three labour rooms, and two assessment rooms.
This year the unit launched a new ‘shared care’ pathway model, which is a joint arrangement between Bentley Hospital and GPs in Western Australia.
Patients who choose shared care deliver their baby at Bentley Maternity Unit.
The arrangement allows healthy, low-risk pregnant women to continue to see their GP for most antenatal appointments during their pregnancy but also includes antenatal care with a specialist obstetrician at Bentley Antenatal Clinic, within Bentley Health Service.
Significantly, the maternity unit at Bentley Health Service employs a range of medical and ancillary staff – from nurses and midwives, to specialist clinicians and administrators to kitchen assistants.