By Olivia Condous
Melton council has scaled back its already sparse maternal and child health service (MCHS) due to a severe lack of nursing staff.
Melton parents registered for the service were sent a letter on June 6, detailing “prioritisation changes” for the service.
Up until then, the council was offering appointments for infants aged up to four months old, but due to ongoing resource shortages the service will now only be available for infants up to eight weeks of age.
This means that infants and mothers will receive only four appointments with a maternal and child health nurse.
The letter also stated that Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander children, vulnerable children, or children with additional concerns would receive appointments.
The service is now “temporarily paused” for infants aged four months and older, with all existing appointments cancelled.
A statement from council said there are about 11,400 families enrolled in the MCHS service.
The council only has the equivalent of 14 full-time nurses and require 12 more to be able to provide a full service.
The council is encouraging any qualified nurses, including those who are retired, to come forward to assist.
Speaking to Star Weekly in May, council chief executive Roslyn Wai said the council was driving an ongoing recruitment campaign to attract more nurses.
“We’re asking the Victorian government to create incentives for existing nurses to move to maternal and child Health and to create a pipeline of new nurses through additional training and education,” Ms Wai said.
To compensate for cancelled appointments, the council has offered families the option to email the MCHS service if they have any concerns regarding their child’s learning, development or behaviour.
While Wyndham council is also experiencing similar challenges, neighbouring Brimbank council has returned MCHS services to normal.
