Email proves Queanbeyan Hospital bans surgical abortion as pressure mounts for NSW health minister to intervene

The ABC has uncovered new evidence that another public hospital in regional New South Wales has an official abortion ban.

Queanbeyan Hospital provided surgical termination services for fetal anomalies and medical reasons. But an investigation by the ABC revealed the service was abruptly stopped in August after a woman was turned away on the day of her scheduled procedure.

In response to this woman’s experience, health practitioners warned of an “unspoken prohibition.” But the ABC has obtained an email proving that the hospital has officially stopped providing time-critical health care.

The email was sent last month to out-of-hospital health practitioners seeking clarification from the Southern NSW Local Health District (LHD) on where to refer patients requiring surgery.

It appears to have been sent from one of the hospital’s doctors on behalf of senior management.

The email says:

“It has been determined that this procedure was carried out even though there was no supporting framework in the hospital.

“So the (Local Health) District is currently looking at what that might look like and until then this procedure not It is currently located within the boundaries of Queanbeyan Hospital.”

The ABC contacted the Southern NSW Local Health District to ask what was meant by a “supporting framework” and whether surgical interventions at Queanbeyan Hospital would be reinstated, but has not yet received a response.

Last week the ABC revealed that the Orange Hospital in the state’s mid-west had introduced a new policy banning abortions for people without any pregnancy complications or medical reasons.

That afternoon, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park made a spectacular intervention, announcing on social media that the ban had been lifted.

As part of the ABC’s investigation, almost 20 clinicians and healthcare professionals privately voiced concerns that the right to conscientious objection is being used to deny access to abortion services.

Health minister faces increasing pressure

Public pressure is mounting on Health Minister Ryan Park to make abortion services available at public hospitals across the province.

Mr. Park is also being lobbied from within his own ranks. Parliamentary secretary Bega MP Michael Holland told the ABC he saw “no reason” why Queanbeyan should not restart surgery.

“I await the Minister’s response and see no reason why, at the level of the hospital’s terms of reference and the availability of clinical staff, these services should not be returned,” Dr Holland said.

Dr Holland wrote to the minister on behalf of a dozen obstetricians, GPs, GPs and specialists. I request that Mr. Park intervene.

The letter said the clinicians wanted NSW Health to “remove the ability of (LHD) management or board to prevent surgical termination of pregnancy.”

He also called for an “urgent review” to ensure LHDs are held accountable for providing surgical abortion “frameworks”.

“I know the Minister will take action on this and look at that framework,” Dr Holland said.

The MP, a former obstetrician and gynecologist, said there was “no evidence” that abortion services were being obstructed by those in positions of authority at Queanbeyan Hospital. He argued that “labor shortages” were fueling the problem.

The state government has provided $3.5 million over four years to improve access to abortion across the state in its 2023 budget.

Greens MP says abortion should be ‘primary healthcare’

Greens MP Amanda Cohn in the NSW Upper House said the amount of funding was “nowhere near enough” because some of it went to private providers, which could be an unaffordable option for many women.

In NSW, public hospitals are not required to provide formal abortion services but are required to provide referral pathways. Ms. Cohn said the state government could easily change that.

“We saw last week that the Minister of Health did the right thing by stepping in, particularly in Orange. But he needs to take further action across the state to fund these services in each Local Health District, not just on an individual case-by-case basis,” he said.

“Unfortunately, abortion is not viewed as an essential health service as it should be, so as long as it is viewed as somehow optional for LHDs, we will not see it offered in core services.

“A public hospital could never get away with turning away all diabetics or all patients needing knee replacement surgery. Nor should it get away with turning away all patients needing abortions.”

Ms. Cohn is drafting a private members bill that will push for changes to the law. 2019 abortion law reform. The bill stipulates that nurses and midwives will be able to prescribe abortion drugs and that mandatory notification documents will be abolished.

It is also stated that conscientious objectors should be legally obliged to refer people who want an abortion to an official abortion service. current law it only requires healthcare practitioners to provide information or guidance to the patient.

“What we are seeing is the weaponization of this substance by entire agencies or entire departments, which is never what it was intended to do,” Ms. Cohn said.

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