Change promised after freeway birth, but Roger Cook can’t explain why mum was sent from Midland to Rockingham

Roger Cook has blamed the private sector and Perth’s growing population for diverting women in labour away from our public hospitals, as health bosses promised “immediate changes” to prevent a repeat of a mother’s traumatic roadside birth. The WA Premier described Lena’s experience of having to give birth on the Kwinana Freeway after being refused admission at Midland as “confronting and distressing”. “I think everyone would feel that couple should have been supported better,” Mr Cook said. But The West Australian can reveal that it is far from uncommon for Perth hospitals to go on maternity bypass and turn women away. In fact, a maternity bypass was called every second day in the metropolitan area during a five-month reporting period last year, according to statistics obtained in State Parliament. Rockingham and Osborne Park Hospital each called a maternity bypass 19 times between April and August last year. Peel Health Campus recorded 17 maternity bypasses, and Armadale Health Campus recorded 12, during the same five-month period. Mr Cook blamed increasing demand for maternity services and a reduction in maternity beds at private hospitals for the harrowing freeway birth. “Maternity bypass, or the demand on our maternity services, is an overall indication of the increase in population activity . . . and the growth of our young demographic as well,” Mr Cook said. “In addition to that, you see a significant drop of privately-funded or privately-run maternity services, so that puts increased demand on our public hospital system.” Mr Cook said he was shocked by Lena and her partner Abdul’s account of their second child’s birth after it was revealed by The West Australian. “The young couple who unfortunately had to see the delivery of their gorgeous baby on the side of the road on the Kwinana freeway, the account of their story is, quite frankly, really confronting and distressing,” he said. “That’s why we are undertaking a thorough investigation to understand what took place in this situation.” But the Opposition rejected his explanation. “Our premier should understand that our population has been growing, and he should also take responsibility for health services for a growing population,” Shadow Health Minister Libby Mettam said. “Western Australia is the wealthiest State in the nation and it’s unacceptable that our hospital system cannot keep up with a growing population and cannot support mothers giving birth at the local hospital of their choice.” Health Minister Meredith Hammat issued a public apology after Lena went public with her distressing experience. The Health Department was unable to explain why she was directed from Midland to Rockingham instead of a closer facility — and left to organise her own transport. On Monday, the Health Department claimed other hospitals that were closer were not on bypass and called Lena’s treatment “unacceptable”. “If a public maternity service has reached capacity, a decision is made by its management to redirect services,” a WA Health spokesperson said. “In this instance, St John of God Midland had in place an active diversion. No other active maternity diversions were in place in the metropolitan area. “Immediate changes are being made to expand the State Health Operations Centre’s scope so it includes managing the demand for public maternity services. “This will allow for a more responsive oversight of the state’s public maternity system and will ensure patients are sent to the most appropriate care setting, particularly when a hospital needs to divert services.” The couple was told by staff at St John of God Midland Public Hospital’s maternity ward that they were “on bypass” and no beds were available at about 7.50am on November 13, 2025 — four hours after Lena arrived at the hospital. St John of God Midland did not dispute the couple’s claim that Lena was not examined just before she crawled into the back of the family’s car. Lena gave birth 20 minutes later on the side of the Kwinana Freeway. Both Lena and her partner, Abdul, pictured, and initially feared their newborn girl was dead when she was born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck.