Only private midwifery practice in WA's Kimberley shuts, leaving mothers with limited options
Anna Hastie was supported by Kimberley Maternity through both of her pregnancies. (ABC Kimberley: Ruby Littler)
In short:
The only private midwifery practice in Western Australia's far north is closing its doors.
Owner and endorsed midwife Tracey Gilchrist says it is no longer sustainable to keep operations going.
What's next?
Kimberley Maternity will close at the end of March.
The only private midwifery practice in Western Australia's far north is closing, leaving pregnant women — especially those on working visas — vulnerable and without options.
Kimberley Maternity has operated in Broome, more than 2,000 kilometres from Perth, since November 2021, providing pre- and post-natal care to women across the remote Kimberley region.
Kimberley Maternity has been in operation since 2021. (ABC Kimberley: Ruby Littler)
Home to about 35,000 people spread across vast distances, the Kimberley has limited maternity services outside the public system.
But owner and endorsed midwife Tracey Gilchrist said it was no longer sustainable to keep the practice running, sparking concerns among patients.
Continuity of care
Mother Anna Hastie lives and works in Broome with her partner and two children.
She said the continuity of care Kimberley Maternity provided was vital to both her pregnancies.
"I wanted someone who was going to be with me throughout the whole journey, rather than seeing a doctor and then you're now onto the midwife, and maybe seeing someone different each week," Ms Hastie said.
"There will be a gap in the community."
Anna Hastie says regional mothers deserve to have choices when it comes to maternity care. (ABC Kimberley: Ruby Littler)
Ms Hastie said pregnancy could already be an "isolating experience", so having access to additional support and "someone who can literally hold your hand" helped her.
"That service is such an incredible asset to our community when we already live in a town where not everybody has their parents or other family members living here with them," she said.
Migrants vulnerable
Jenny* is a temporary migrant and is living in Broome on a working visa.
Temporary visa holders in Australia are typically not eligible for Medicare, relying on private insurance and healthcare instead.
Kimberley Maternity will close on March 31. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)
"During my pregnancy, I had to see [Kimberley Maternity] because I didn't have options in Broome," she said.
"I don't have Medicare, and I couldn't go to the hospital because it was so expensive, and comparatively [Kimberley Maternity] was cheaper."
Jenny said the limited options made her pregnancy worse and stressful.
With the closure of the only private clinic in town, Jenny said she did not know what women in her situation would do.
Kimberley Maternity has delivered about 2,000 appointments since first opening. (ABC Kimberley: Ruby Littler)
Throughout her pregnancy, there were two occasions when she went to the hospital for an emergency because she did not feel well.
"For going to the emergency, we have to pay $750 … because to get a (GP) appointment, the waiting period is two months, it's crazy," Jenny said.
"Thank God we got the money to go sometimes, but some people don't have that amount."
'Bittersweet' closure
Ms Gilchrist had been running the clinic since November 2021, servicing about 2,000 appointments in that time.
She said it was "bittersweet" to close the practice when she knew it would leave a gap, but felt she had no other choice.
She was having to maintain casual employment at the Broome hospital and funnel personal assets into the business in order for it to be "sustainable".
Tracey Gilchrist ran Kimberley Maternity, Broome's only private midwifery and lactation consultancy service. (ABC Kimberley: Ruby Littler)
"Women living in areas such as Broome should have that ability to choose who's going to be their maternity care providers," Ms Gilchrist said.
"Living remotely and in regional areas, there may not be that choice … the option of attending a private care provider is afforded to their metropolitan counterparts."
Midwives were often "under-utilised but overworked", according to Ms Gilchrist.
She said if midwives were able to work through their full scope of practice, they could benefit and assist the considerable healthcare workforce shortages facing regional areas.
"I'd like to think I've made an impact in Broome. It's wonderful to walk down the street and catch up with people," she said.
"They can say, 'Oh, there's my midwife,' that feels really good."
The practice will close on March 31, and Ms Gilchrist will relocate to Perth.
Kelley Lennon says workforce shortages in the profession are global. (Supplied)
Australian College of Midwives chief midwife Kelley Lennon said there needed to be a 20 per cent increase in the profession nationwide to curb demand.
"Australia isn't the only place, it is global … we need to attract midwives into the workforce, but also more importantly, retain the midwifery workforce we have," she said.
These issues become exacerbated in regional locations where there's a further "maldistribution" of the workforce, according to Ms Lennon.
She said partnering with local university providers that support midwifery education could be one path towards attracting and retaining local people.
*Jenny is not the woman's real name, the ABC has changed it to protect her identity.