UPPER Hunter women are travelling hours from home to give birth since the part-closure of Muswellbrook Hospital's maternity unit last year.
Mums have been unable to deliver babies there since March, 2022 following the departure from the hospital's service of the last medico with obstetrics expertise.
Hunter New England Health (HNEH) says women in Muswellbrook can give birth at Scone or Singleton, except for women who "require a higher level of care" who must birth at Maitland or John Hunter Hospitals.
"We understand and acknowledge women want to give birth as close to home as possible and we apologise that this currently is not possible at Muswellbrook Hospital," an HNEH spokesperson said.
"We are committed to restoring birthing services at Muswellbrook Hospital as soon as we are safely able to do so.
"We have, and continue to actively work to attract obstetrics coverage in Muswellbrook, since the departure of the GP visiting medical officer in March 2022.
"Recruitment for obstetricians in rural and regional locations is an ongoing challenge faced nationally."
Muswellbrook mayor Steve Reynolds and councillor Jeff Drayton say they are hearing from growing numbers of residents about their frustrations about the lack of services available.
In one case, a woman pregnant with twins, and with three other children at home, gave birth to her first baby on the way to Maitland Hospital in a moving ambulance, before arriving there 35 minutes later to deliver the second baby.
An HNEH spokesperson said in any case, that scenario would have been considered 'high-risk' and the babies could not have been delivered at Muswellbrook, even had the maternity unit been open to delivering babies.
Cr Reynolds said his own wife gave birth to their son Jack in Maitland in 2019 because of the lack of space in the Muswellbrook four-bed facility when it was still operational.
"We've had many a family and friend who say the same thing, it's frustrating that we can't accommodate them in our own town, especially with the coal mining royalties that leave the area," he said.
Mr Drayton said that the hospital was going backwards.
"It seems that you can't have a baby at any of the hospitals up here, not Scone, Singleton, Dungog or Muswellbrook," Mr Drayton said.
"I have had family members from Singleton who have had to go to Maitland as well. My kids are all in their 20s and all three of my children were delivered in Muswellbrook, and here we are 20-odd years later and you would think it would get better and be more available, not less available."
Upper Hunter MP Dave Layzell said it was extremely disappointing that there had not been a succession plan in place to replace a person who had been performing the obstetrics role at the hospital for "many, many years" and was "obviously getting close to the point of retirement".
"I find that very frustrating, that lack of foresight," he said.
Meanwhile, the third stage of a $45 million upgrade of Muswellbrook Hospital is currently on-hold.
Mr Layzell said at a briefing with NSW Health Infrastructure earlier this year he was told stage three was being scaled back due to inflationary increases to the construction price.
But, he argued, inflation was a normal part of doing business in a strong market economy and "could not be used as an excuse by government to cutback or delay critical projects".
The ongoing delay prompted a rally outside the facility in August organised by the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association and attended by staff and residents.
Nurses say anything short of the promised upgrade put vital elements of it, such as promised new operating suites, a new sterilisation department and adequate maternity space, at risk.
Association branch vice president and delegate Peggy Smith says the existing theatre does not meet accreditation standards, and with accreditation due again in December, some surgeons had said they might stop working there due to the infection risk.
The government has since agreed to go back to the drawing board to try and address the nurses' concerns, Mr Layzell said, and to put some money into the old theatre to "keep it going."
A spokesperson for Health Infrastructure said this week their master plan review was complete and the findings would be communicated with staff and the community shortly.
"The review will confirm current and future development opportunities within the master plan," a Health Infrastructure statement said.
"Construction time frames will be confirmed as the project progresses."
A Hunter New England Local Health District spokesperson confirmed it has committed to replacing aging equipment in the central sterilisation department to ensure the operating theatre's ongoing compliance.
