Health service says no decision yet on maternity ward
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The North Coast Area Health Service says no decision has yet been made about a possible downgrading of services at the Murwillumbah Hospital's maternity ward.
Doctors from the hospital this week expressed concerns about a recommendation to scrap after-hours emergency obstetric services.
Dr Alan Secombe says such a move would see pregnant women who experience complications transferred to the Tweed Hospital.
Health service chief executive Chris Crawford says rising costs at Murwillumbah prompted a clinical review, but consultation is still taking place.
"The cost of treating patients at Murwillumbah Hospital is higher than at the peer hospitals," he said.
"What we need to have, when we get our allocation of funds, is value for money. We need to get as many treatments as we can for the money available."
