The NT's only private maternity ward is about to shut. Here's what we know about the new care options
The Northern Territory health minister has released the details of a replacement service for expectant Top End parents seeking private maternity healthcare.
It comes after Darwin Private Hospital operator Healthscope announced it would be closing the facility's birthing ward from June 6, a move that will leave expectant parents with no other option but to give birth at the public Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH).
The NT government previously flagged plans to offer two new options for private postnatal care for affected families — a "luxury retreat" at a "boutique" Darwin hotel and an at-home service.
With more details now released, here's what we know about the new care options.
Private maternity patients will first give birth at RDH before receiving postnatal care at a hotel or in their own home.
The Mercure Darwin Airport Resort has been announced as the Darwin hotel that will provide expectant parents with a private postnatal stay option from June 1.
NT Health Minister Steve Edgington says private maternity patients will be reserved a "deluxe king suite" room, where they will be able to stay for up to four nights post-birth and receive postnatal care by visiting RDH midwives.
The midwives will assist patients with wounds, postnatal assessments, feeding, baby weighing and general newborn care.
Mr Edgington says NT Health eventually hopes to secure a private midwifery provider to take over this service from RDH midwives.
NT Health general manager of corporate strategy and performance, Alison Jeanne, says there will be a "ring-fence" around rooms reserved for postnatal care to ensure they remain available for eligible patients.
Private patients who face complications during or after birth will need to remain at RDH until it's safe for them to be discharged.
The "return home sooner package" is the alternative postnatal care option available to private maternity patients as of June 1.
The government says this service will allow parents and their newborn to receive support in their own home, after being discharged from hospital.
Support provided for families will include meal preparation and cleaning, and the same midwifery support offered to those who choose the hotel option.
The government has not specified how many days after birth this service will be provided for.
The NT government is promising all patients with private health insurance covering pregnancy and birth hospital care will have access to the private postnatal packages.
'I have been advised by NT Health that all insurers have agreed to support care options for women and families post-birth,' Mr Edgington said on Thursday.
He also said NT Health had been in regular discussions with major insurers Medibank, Bupa and the Australian Health Service Alliance, which "represent around 93 per cent of the women affected".
The government says all of the private services provided will not be "costing taxpayers anything" because all costs will be covered by private health insurers.
NT Health-led information sessions will be held next week at the Mercure Darwin Airport Resort, for expectant families to view the accommodation and discuss their care with RDH specialist staff.
NT Health says small group and one-on-one sessions will be made available to families the week starting May 26, so they can discuss with staff "the services, models of care and discharge support, as well as what to expect during birth, staying in the hospital and postnatal care".
At a press conference on Thursday, Mr Edgington said he had written to the federal Health Minister, Mark Butler, requesting $35 million to help the NT government make "some modifications" to RDH's maternity ward.
The Tasmanian government in February successfully secured $6 million from the Commonwealth to expand maternity services in Hobart hospitals, after Healthscope also announced the closure of its birthing ward there.
Mr Edgington flip-flopped on whether RDH could manage the extra patients from the private system long-term, saying at first the government had requested the $35 million because it was looking at how to "cope with the additional 250 births per year".
He later said: "We've made it very clear that 250 additional births can be consumed within the current arrangements at the Royal Darwin Hospital".
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