Someone once said, “So many good things come in pairs, like ears, socks and panda bears. But, best of all are the set of twins, with extra laughter, double grins.”

Today, Northern Health launched a new antenatal clinic led by Obstetrician Dr Allison Choong, dedicated specifically to caring for twins pregnancies.

“When we look back at it, in a quiet year we have 19 sets of twins and a busy year of 25 sets of twins. I hadn’t even properly started the twin clinic and I already managed eight sets of twins in the last two months.”

The new antenatal twins clinic aims to provide individualised care to make the journey of twins mothers safe.

The specialised clinic will allow patients to receive consistent care from the same clinician during their pregnancy, ultimately leading to favourable outcomes for both mother and babies.

Allison has recently finished her Diploma of Diagnostic Ultrasound, which will allow her to do ultrasound during the antenatal visit and provide reports instantly.

Dr Paul Howat, Divisional Director – Women’s and Children’s Services, congratulating Allison says, “Now Allison has the expertise for patient ultrasounds and a greater ability to look after high risk pregnancies and complex gynaecology cases.”

“The ultrasound is one of the most important imaging modalities in obstetrics and gynaecology. As I am now able to interpret and report on ultrasounds, I’m able to understand the clinical situation more accurately and provide better care – that was the main reason for undertaking the diploma,” said Allison.

There are plans underway to streamline the Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS) we provide.

Currently, patients are required to have their ultrasounds completed at a community imaging facility and then return to Northern Hospital to receive their care. With a full EPAS, everything is done in-house, with a sonologist performing the scan here and providing a diagnosis on the spot.

Early Pregnancy Assessment is in high demand. When Allison first came to Northern Health, an EPAS clinic was not available to patients. Initially operating only twice a week, it now operates every day due to increase in demand.

“If there is an in-house sonologist providing scans and giving the diagnosis, and then guiding the HMOs along the way, we will be able to provide a more efficient, accurate service. It’s more convenient for the patient and more efficient which will improve the whole patient experience,” says Allison.

Featured Image: Dr Allison Choong with newborn twins