MAHTOESRPNITITAYL NNEEWSS
Frances Perry House offers pain relief
service for Victorian women
Almost 20 women have already used a new pelvic pain service in Melbourne to help manage their
discomfort following treatment for various gynaecological conditions.
Frances Perry House established the Pelvic Pain Service in
2019; it is one of the only private services of its kind in Victoria
and takes a multidisciplinary approach in alleviating pain.
Nurse unit manager, Caitlin O’Grady, said: “The clinic helps
women who have had underlying gynaecological conditions
treated but who are still experiencing levels of pain which
are not responsive to other treatment.”
Patients are initially assessed by a specialist gynaecologist
and are then referred to a multidisciplinary team, who
develop a personalised pain management plan. The team
consists of a pain specialist, a physiotherapist and
a psychologist.
18 The Ramsay Way 2020 | 01
So far, the clinic has helped women who have been treated
for endometriosis, ovarian cists, fibroids and adenomyosis.
The clinic will also be able to help women suffering from
chronic pain caused by mesh which was used in the past
during vaginal repairs.
“These patients usually need to get the mesh removed
which is quite a complex procedure and they also usually
need pain management afterwards which we can provide,”
Mrs O’Grady said.
The service allows private patients to bypass wait times
which currently exist in the public system.
Cairns Midwife Jessica O’Connor
Cairns midwife
empowers
expectant parents
with online help
A new digital information booklet for expectant
parents – which was designed by a Cairns
midwife – has been rolled out to all Ramsay
Health Care maternity sites in Australia.
Jessica O’Connor came up with the idea to develop the
Maternity Resource Booklet, after noticing mothers would
frequently misplace brochures or ask about various topics
with no written information readily available.
“Midwives are asked lots of questions and, while there is
a lot of information out there, the information isn’t always
easily sourced. Often staff would be finding information
online and printing it for women and their families to
read,” Miss O’Connor said.
The booklet gives families access to a wide range of
information related to pregnancy, labour and birth, as well
as the post-natal period.
Miss O’Connor made sure all the information included
was relevant, accurate and evidence-based. The
digital booklet also allows expectant parents to access
additional information through QR Codes and URL links
using their smart phone or a computer.
“The booklet contains more than 200 QR codes and
hyperlinks to articles, fact sheets, brochures, websites
and even videos. Not only is it now easier for women
and their families to access information, this booklet
reduces the environmental impact of printed information
resources,” Miss O’Connor said.
The midwife initially started developing the resource
for Cairns Private Hospital, but it was soon released for
use across all maternity facilities within Ramsay’s
Australian network.
“It is great that I have been able to improve the
experience for women who
choose to have their baby
at a Ramsay hospital. When
women have access to
the right information, they
are empowered to make
informed choices and
decisions about their care at
every stage, alongside their
obstetrician and midwife,”
Miss O’Connor said.
So far, the feedback has been
positive regarding both
the information available
and the decision to keep the
booklet digital.
Patients book
into “the Uber
of Maternity”
at Westmead
Private Hospital
A new obstetric model launched in New South Wales
in 2019 has already garnered more than 100 patient
bookings, including at Westmead Private Hospital.
Bloom Obstetrics was set up to offer “an affordable premium
private birthing experience”.
It is comprised of a team of experienced obstetricians and
midwives and is available to most women who are privately
insured and hold a valid Medicare card.
Bloom likens its model of care to flying on a plane in
“premium economy”, where the patient will see an
experienced obstetrician but not necessarily the same
doctor or midwife every time.
The business describes itself as “the Uber of maternity”
because its pooled resources mean patients receive
efficient and quality care.
Patient Information
Maternity
Resource
Booklet
cairnsprivate.com.au