It's been 12 months since the largest inquiry in the NSW parliament's history handed down its recommendations. The Birth Trauma Inquiry had more than 4000 submissions, 700 from Maternity Consumer Network. They outlined routine mistreatment, lack of informed cosent, medical misogyny and a health system failing some of our most vulnerable- birthing women and their babies.
Health Minister, Ryan Park, endorsed 42 of the recommendations. Yet, 12 months on, consumers are left scratching their heads, and wondering what has been done during the last 12 months to ensure the recommendations are implemented. There was no money, time-frame, or monitoring and evaluation framework to go alongside his acceptance of the recommendations, and consumers certainly haven't reported any marked changes in maternity services in NSW. In fact, there's been increased bypasses and closures in rural and regional areas over the last 12 months, leaving MCN wondering how serious the health minister is about fixing the states crumbling maternity services.
Anecdotally, there's been some uptake of more continuity in the form of midwifery group practices, but this is limited. Consumer want the government to release its report card on the progress of the 42 recommendations from the inquiry.