The wait to restore specialised birthing help in the eastern Bay of Plenty has been extended further as Health NZ says it’s unlikely Whakatāne Hospital will be back to secondary services until at least March or April next year.
The situation is causing anxiety for some expectant mothers who face longer journeys if there are complications during birth.
Whakatāne Hospital downgraded its services at the start of the year after the last of its obstetricians left, leaving expectant mothers across the region in the hands of clinicians in Tauranga.
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora told 1News it “should’ve done better way back in December”, adding the flow-on effects mean the workload has increased for staff at Tauranga Hospital.
Close calls
There have already been close calls for women giving birth.
Among them is Te Mea Adams, who had to be airlifted from Ōpōtiki to Tauranga – a 30 minute journey.
Adams said the umbilical cord became stuck around her son Te-Mōrehu’s neck when she was contracting.
Whakatāne Hospital downgraded services earlier this year, leaving mums-to-be in in the hands of clinicians in Tauranga. (Source: Breakfast)
“He was getting strangled and his heart was stopping after each contraction,” she said. “All I could think about was who was going to pay the price if my baby was to die that day, because every second counts.
“It’s just extra time that some people might not have – that was my biggest fear and it happened. We need change.”
Pressure on midwives
The region’s midwives, already short-staffed, are bearing the brunt, according to New Zealand College of Midwives CEO Alison Eddy.
“We understand it is one of the worst affected regions,” she said. “It’s an end-to-end service and that’s not as accessible to the women in the Bay of Plenty because of the workforce issues that have developed in that region.”
Ngā Maia Māori Midwives chairwoman Lisa Kelly said it’s resulting in women who are feeling more anxious about birth.
“She’s thinking about her extended whānau around her, how are they getting to Tauranga, are my children OK at home – there are so many extra pressures.”
‘Safety at top of mind’
Cath Cronin, deputy chief executive for Health NZ’s Te Manawa Taki region, said patient care is a priority.
“There are some really tricky shifts — and days — but they stop, they think, they work around that,” she said. “They’ve always got the safety of the woman and baby top of mind.
“Sometimes there might be a delay for planned care but never for any urgent or acute care – we prioritise that.”
While more obstetricians have since been recruited at Whakatāne Hospital, they’re first required to undergo months of supervision at Tauranga Hospital. Te Whatu Ora said it helps with orientation and to assess their skills and competency.
“This is around safe care for our patients and it means that the doctors come, they’ve had all their registration checked and that are the right people to practise but are settling into the New Zealand system,” Cronin said.
