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Champion midwife retires after 50 years
A Hunter New England Health midwife who has led the way in establishing new services and initiatives to improve the health of mothers and babies, is retiring today after a career spanning 50 years.
Since training as a general nurse at The Maitland Hospital in 1958, Service Manager/Director of Nursing and Midwifery for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at John Hunter Hospital, Anne Saxton, has spent the largest part of her career working in Newcastle.
Ms Saxton said some of the highlights of her career include the establishment of services such as Birra-Li Aboriginal Birthing Service, the ACE Postnatal Depression Program, the neonatal hearing screening program, and Belmont Birthing Service.
“I have a passionate interest in improving the health of Aboriginal mothers and babies, so the establishment of Birra-Li Aboriginal Birthing Service and a subsequent project to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal families and their children, has been especially rewarding,” Ms Saxton said.
“I am also proud to have been involved in the establishment of the Hunter Centre for Gynaecological Cancer at John Hunter Hospital, which is the only tertiary referral gynae-oncology unit of its kind outside metropolitan Sydney.”
Ms Saxton has played a key role in strategic planning for Obstetric and Gynaecology Services across Hunter New England Health and, most recently, led a team of staff to establish the Hunter New England Health Women’s Health and Maternity Services Network.
Ms Saxton said she has witnessed a lot change over the years and has many happy memories to look back on.
“I was involved in the transition of maternity services from Royal Newcastle Hospital to the Mater Hospital, and also in the commissioning of the Obstetric and Gynaecology Unit at John Hunter Hospital, which involved the integration of the maternity units from the Mater and Western Suburbs hospitals,” Ms Saxton said.
“I have delivered so many babies I’ve lost count, but it’s in the thousands and many of the babies I delivered now have babies of their own.
“Working as a midwife is a wonderful thing because the women never forget you – in one lady’s case, I was involved in her care during her five pregnancies and she still remains in contact.”
Director of Operations Acute Networks Michael Di Rienzo said Ms Saxton will be greatly missed.
“Anne has been the driving force behind the development of many innovative models of midwifery care,” Mr Di Rienzo said.
“As well as being a champion for the midwifery profession, she has made an outstanding contribution to Hunter New England Health and to improving the health of women and their babies generally.”
Contact: Gemma Smith
Phone: 4921 4501
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