Rural NSW faces severe midwife shortage, putting public maternity units under immense pressure.

Rural mums face health risks due to a severe shortage of specialists and midwives in regional NSW, putting public maternity units under immense pressure. Tamworth Hospital has a 58% deficit in midwifery staff, and smaller rural hospitals often go on bypass, with mothers having to travel hundreds of kilometres to give birth. The situation is expected to worsen, with a 64% midwife deficit predicted by September.