Thomas Elliott starts 2023 Longreach Hospital births

He is the first child for Longreach residents Kristen and Shane Elliott, and as of Tuesday morning, was the first of three babies born at Longreach already this month.

Longreach's average is 60 births a year - there were 63 births, 57 in 2020, 62 in 2019, and 61 in 2018 - but in 2022 that rose to 80 births.

Ms Elliott said she was very happy to be able to have Thomas in her home community with the support of the Longreach Hospital maternity team.

"I couldn't have hoped for a better experience,'' she said.

Acting Director of Nursing at the Longreach Hospital, Susanne Bardon said it was always exciting to be at work in the new year, at a time of renewal and new starts.

The Central West Health maternity service operates as a midwifery group practice, where each woman is assigned a known midwife who provides most of her care pre, during and post-birth.

"The maternity service midwifery staff are supported by allied health professionals and General Practitioners with specialist training in obstetrics,'' Ms Bardon said.

For a hospital which handles more than one birth a week, the maternity unit offers three single ensuite rooms, a birth suite, a maternity assessment room, a nursery, and an equipment room.

"We also have on-site accommodation at no cost at Longreach Hospital for women in the lead-up to giving birth from 36 weeks onwards. This is particularly convenient for women who live away from Longreach," Ms Bardon said.

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