Geraldton's only private hospital is shutting its doors to maternity patients from next Wednesday.
St John of God Geraldton Hospital has confirmed it will temporarily suspend maternity services due to a shortage of midwives. It did not say when the service may reopen.
It was unwilling to confirm if midwives refusing to receive a COVID vaccination had contributed to the shortage.
In a statement, a spokesman said the hospital was "not in a position comment on the decisions of individual staff members" and "the great majority of our staff have met the vaccination requirements".
Expectant mothers planning to use the hospital will be now forced to use Geraldton Health Campus or go elsewhere.
St John of God Geraldton acting CEO Jack Harding said a midwife shortage made it increasingly difficult to fill rosters.
Public hospital takes up slack
Geraldton Health Campus anticipates receiving an extra eight maternity patients a month due to the private hospital's maternity ward closure.
WA Country Health Service regional director of nursing and midwifery for the Midwest Marie Norris was confident the Geraldton Health Campus's maternity ward could cater to the extra patients, with extra staff seconded from St John of God Geraldton Hospital.
"We're comfortable that we've got staffing that would support this," she said.
Ms Norris said St John of God was in discussion with private patients to ease their upset over forking out private health insurance, only to be denied a private hospital.
Midwife shortage
Ms Norris said hospitals across the country were battling a shortage of midwives.
"I don't think it's just about a single variable to be honest."
