Birthing centre slashes hours
Palmerston North mums-to-be are scrabbling to adjust their birthing plans as Te Papaioea Birthing Centre reduces its services due to an ongoing shortage ofmidwives.
On Friday, the Midcentral DHB announced that staffing levels at Te Papaioea Birthing Centre had temporarily fallen to a level where it could only be adequately staffed between 8am and 4pm on weekdays.
The centre would remain open to lead maternity carers and their clients outside those hours if the appropriate support was available but the changes, which took effect onmonday, also meant newmothers could not stay at the centre after giving birth.
The announcement said Palmerston North Hospital’s birthing and maternity unit would remain open 24/7, and staffing levels will be reviewed each week to see if full services at the centre could be restored.
Liz Preotesea-wagner, whose baby was due within weeks, was shocked and disappointed by the sudden changes at Te Papaioea.
‘‘Now I have to rethink everything about my birthing plan, which is really unsettling in this stage ofmy pregnancy.’’
Preotesea-wagner felt a loss of certainty and options with Te Papaioea’s limited hours, and wished the DHB had given expect ant mothers more than two days’ notice.
She said she had planned to stay at the birthing centre for two nights, while her parents looked after her 4-year-old son Caleb, to give her and the baby a peaceful recovery and bonding time after the birth.
‘‘Having a couple of nights away would make a huge difference to my ability to adjust, and there was the ability for the father to stay too, which is not always possible at the hospital.
‘‘But now I can’t stay at all unless it’s medically necessary.’’
Midcentral chief executive Kathryn Cook said the ongoing shortage was a national issue that DHBS have been working to mitigate for years – and Midcentral was running local and national recruitment campaigns to increase staffing levels.
But after amonth when midwifery vacancies and sickness resulted in staffing gaps every day, a review of the upcoming roster found staffing had reached a critically low level.
‘‘So management had to respond urgently to ensure staff, wahine and pepi safety.
‘‘ We acknowledge and apologise for any stress this may cause.’’
Midcentral has attempted to address midwives’ concerns with retention bonus and financial incentives above the terms set in union collective employment agreements, implementing more healthcare assistants and having nurses help staff the maternity ward.
Maori midwife Amanda Douglas, speaking for a group of fellowmanawatu midwives said: ‘‘[But] Midwifery staffing vacancies, increasing acuity of women using our services and the handover of care at MDHB Maternity services are all impacting staff wellbeing, morale and attrition.’’