Gosford Private Hospital scraps maternity services

Central Coast obstetricians have expressed deep disappointment over an announcement that Healthe Care will cease maternity services at Gosford Private Hospital at the end of March next year.

Hospital CEO Dr Stephen Johnston said the decision resulted from declining birth rates, decreasing demand for private maternity services on the Central Coast, increasing cost of living pressures and challenges with private health insurance funding for private hospitals.

Nationwide, Gosford Private is the latest maternity service to announce its closure, following the closure of eight other private maternity services over the past 18 months.

“We are very aware of the impact this decision will have on the local community and expecting families in particular,” Johnston said.

“Gosford Private has provided private maternity services for over 30 years, with thousands of local families choosing to begin their parenting journey with us.

“Over the past 10 years we have seen a steady decline in the number of local families choosing to have their birth privately, with births falling by close to 40 per cent during that time and forecasts for less private births in the years to come.

“We have now reached the point where it is no longer sustainable for us to continue to operate this service.”

Families who are currently booked to birth at Gosford Private will be supported through until the end of March 2025.

“We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of obstetricians and a strong public maternity service locally,” Johnston said.

“We are committed to supporting our local community and will remain open until Monday, March 31, to provide continuity of care for those families who are already booked in to birth with us.

“We have been working with the Local Health District to ensure ongoing access to maternity services.”

The closure will directly impact on the service’s 27 staff, with redeployment opportunities being explored across the Healthe Care group and in the Central Coast Local Health District.

“I want to express my gratitude for the tireless work of our maternity services staff,” Johnston said.

“This decision in no way reflects the work they do and the exceptional care they provide for our patients.”

A group of leading obstetricians says the closure will severely restrict the choice of private care for expectant mothers, limiting their ability to access a range of high-quality, personalised obstetric services.

They say the decision undermines patient autonomy and reduces the care options available to women during one of the most important moments of their lives.

Leading Central Coast obstetrician Dr Peta Skilbeck said the team at Intuition Private would work closely with Gosford Hospital to ensure patients continue to receive the highest stand of care during the transition.

“Intuition Private has long been dedicated to providing exceptional obstetric and gynaecological care to women on the Central Coast,” she said.

“The Intuition Private team remains steadfast in supporting patients through this change.”

Gosford Private Hospital will continue to provide women’s health services, paediatric surgery and paediatric services through its accredited doctors.

Patients who are currently booked into Gosford Private maternity services are encouraged to speak with their obstetrician about the next steps of their care.