Delivery Suite

The Delivery Suite is a 16 bed combined Labour Ward and High Dependency Unit.

Care is provided for women during normal labour and birth, and for women experiencing complications before or after the birth of their baby. (This is known as high dependency care.)  A limited gynaecology service is also provided.

All rooms are single and are identically equipped, so women do not need to transfer from room to room within the Delivery Suite if their condition changes.

Women are admitted from within South Australia and from the Northern Territory.  We operate a retrieval service to assist women and babies reach the WCH if they cannot come safely without our help.

How to access the service

You may access the service by:

• Referral from your GP to the Women's Outpatients Department where you will receive options for your routine pregnancy care. If your GP is accredited with the WCH you may choose GP 'shared care'.
• Choosing to attend as a private patient of an obstetrician accredited to care for you here.
• Being referred from another service as an 'emergency admission' if a problem arises that cannot be managed in the hospital where you have booked to have your baby (this is called an 'antenatal' or 'postnatal transfer').

Please bring your Pregnancy Record (in the orange plastic sleeve) so we have appropriate information from your health carers to enable us to plan relevant care with you.

If you have any letters from other carers that may be relevant to this, or previous pregnancies please bring them with you so we can share important information.

Information for families

We have other team members including social workers, physiotherapists, chaplains, Aboriginal liaison officers and interpreters available to assist you with any specific needs, especially if you are from the country and have been unexpectedly admitted to WCH.

It is difficult for us to accommodate family members in the Delivery Suite area except in an emergency or if it is essential for the care of you or your baby. Our midwives can advise you.

There is limited short-term accommodation available at the WCH.  Our Social Workers can assist if you are having difficulty finding accommodation.

Forms

You will be asked to complete a booking form when you first come to WCH, or one may be posted to you.

If you are transferred here unexpectedly, the form will be completed for you at the time of your admission. This helps us to create case notes for you in which we record the care we have given you, what you have requested and how everything is progressing. This record then belongs to the hospital. If you have any questions about what is in your medical record, please ask your carers.

Please bring your Medicare card and any information about private medical insurance you have, as this will help us make appropriate referrals for you.

Resources/publications

Our practices in midwifery and obstetrics at the WCH are based on the South Australian Department of Health Perinatal Practice Guidelines for Management. They are regularly reviewed through the State-wide Perinatal Practice Guidelines Committee and are available for your information and comments at www.health.sa.gov.au/ppg

Research Activity

Research activities are undertaken regularly within the Delivery Suite, as we believe that our practices should be evidence-based and up-to-date. The staff in delivery Suite can advise of current research projects.

For example, we may be able to donate the cord from your placenta for research into childhood cancer, or the placenta for other important research which may be of benefit for our community in the future. Both would normally be disposed of after the birth of your baby, if you did not have any preference for retaining them yourself.

Currently in South Australia, there is no ability to donate cord blood to a publicly funded cord blood bank. If you want to store your baby's cord blood for personal use, you will find information by web searching 'cord blood bank / stem cell storage' (pages from Australia). If you are interested in the research being conducted please ask the staff.

No research affecting you or your baby will be undertaken without your agreement and your care will not be affected if you choose not to participate.

Hours

The Delivery Suite is open and staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Contact details

Location

3rd floor of the Queen Victoria Building

Mailing address

Delivery Suite
Women's and Babies Division
Women's and Children's Hospital
72 King William Road
North Adelaide
South Australia 5006

Phone/fax/email

Ph (08) 8161 7832

Fax (08) 8161 7829

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