New law to force Darwin Private Hospital operators to provide maternity care

Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has announced a new law that will compel operators of the Darwin Private Hospital to offer private maternity services. This move comes more than a year after Darwin lost its sole private maternity ward. The Private Hospital Amendment Bill will be introduced to parliament next week. Critics argue that it could take years to establish a new maternity unit and recruit enough staff.

Calvary Health Care is expected to assume control of the private hospital by the end of the year, following Healthscope's shutdown of the private maternity ward, citing a decline in birth rates and financial difficulties. During the transition, all future operators of the Darwin Private Hospital will be mandated to provide a comprehensive maternity service, including private obstetricians and midwifery care.

While the government is confident in Calvary's capabilities, a former obstetrician and gynaecologist at the hospital, Jenny Mitchell, warns that rebuilding a maternity ward could take at least two years, considering the absence of essential staff and equipment. Maternity advocacy group Our Birth, Our Voice's organiser, Sophia Emberson-Bain, welcomed the government's decision, calling it a significant victory for Territory families.