00:00When Erin McGinn went to the Royal Hobart Hospital to have her baby, she was told they
00:09couldn't break her waters because they didn't have any staff available.
00:14I was so uncomfortable and I was in a lot of pain and I already knew what was to come
00:19with the labour and the contractions.
00:21Erin ended up having a C-section, so she needed help with simple things.
00:28I was waiting half an hour, upwards to an hour, until someone could come and just pass
00:34me my child.
00:36And that was really frustrating.
00:38It's stories like Erin's that spurred the Nurses and Midwives Union to call for urgent
00:43action, claiming maternity staff shortages are leading to adverse outcomes for families.
00:50Not being able to properly care for their patients is also distressing for midwives
00:55like Sarah.
00:57She works at the Royal, we're not identifying her because she fears repercussions.
01:02I did a night shift the other night, and so there was one midwife at one end of the ward,
01:07I was at the other end of the ward, and I had 12 women and 6 babies.
01:12And she, the midwife at the other end, had a similar amount.
01:17Sarah says staffing shortages are common.
01:20On most days she gets messages asking if she can work.
01:24But it's the patients she's most worried about.
01:27All of us have spent our careers working through breaks and finishing late, and that's OK.
01:33But when you get to the end of the shift thinking, I could have f***ing killed someone last night,
01:38like it really makes you question your life choices.
01:41Multiple midwives contacted ABC Radio Hobart's mornings program.
01:46One said they worry midwives will be left carrying all the blame if something awful
01:51happens to a mother or baby.
01:54Another said delayed inductions and infant weight loss are not uncommon.
01:59Management know about the issues, and staff are not supported.
02:04And one midwife said she cried with relief at hearing the union speak out.
02:09We must provide a very safe environment for people that access very important health services.
02:17In a statement, the Department of Health said it's undertaken an initial review of
02:21rosters, which confirms appropriate staffing levels are being met in the majority of shifts.
02:27It's also conducting a further retrospective analysis of rosters to identify any potential
02:33opportunities for improvement.
02:36Their care and their compassion were second to none.
02:38They were supportive and helpful when they could, and I feel really sorry that they can't
02:43provide the best care that there is because they don't have the support of other midwives there.
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