Page 814 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2018
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of more postnatal beds, birthing capacity and specialist diagnostic and outpatient services. As part of the expansion, the Centenary hospital will also provide a dedicated adolescent gynaecology service that will reduce the need for young women and girls to travel to Sydney for treatment as assessment and treatment will be provided locally, thereby improving access for ACT residents. This initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to providing the best possible facilities to help meet the specialist healthcare needs of women, children and families in Canberra and the ACT region well into the future.
The government recognises that women’s health is a specialised area of service delivery, with women needing specific support to manage their health conditions in the best ways possible. Often this requires a multidisciplinary response with a range of interventions to help women stay healthy.
I would like to take this time to outline just some of the specialised women’s health services that are available through our public health system here in the ACT. Through gynaecology and women’s health services at the Centenary hospital, in addition to paediatric and maternity services, ACT Health provide care to women who have had gynaecological surgery, conditions or early pregnancy complications that may require hospitalisation for a pregnancy-related issue; postnatal care in the first two to three days post birth; specialist services for conditions such as endometriosis and continence and oncology treatment services. The ACT government has also invested in providing greater choice for birthing options in the ACT, including ACT Health’s three-year homebirth trial, which commenced in October 2016 and has seen safe and successful homebirths take place in the ACT.
Last month we also announced a $2.6 million upgrade to maternity services at Calvary Public Hospital in Bruce to give women in Canberra’s north better access to high quality, modern birthing facilities to match the very high quality service provided at Calvary Public Hospital in Bruce. Of course, Calvary also provides specialised gynaecological services and breast surgery services for women in the ACT. The ACT government are also proud supporters of organisations like PANDSI, who do amazing work supporting women with post and antenatal depression, matching their fundraising efforts dollar for dollar at their annual cake-off fundraiser.
As a government we also recognise the need to ensure that all women are able to access the health services they need. ACT Health has a free women’s health service, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in September last year. The service is available, in particular, to vulnerable women who have significant difficulty accessing health services due to the impact of violence, abuse or neglect; language or cultural barriers; homelessness or risk of homelessness; mental health; substance abuse; disability; sexual identity; and financial hardship.
The women’s health service provides a safe and accessible service that supports physical, psychological and emotional health and wellbeing for women of all ages, including counselling; women’s health clinics, with a focus on health promotion and lifestyle advice, cervical screening and sexual and reproductive health, advice and referral; and specialised medical services. The women’s health service also provides health care for people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
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