Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) is confident North
Canterbury women have the right level of midwifery support, based within their
own community.
David Meates, CDHB chief executive says there are 23
independent midwives with access agreements to CDHB birthing facilities compared
to six, five years ago.
“Allowing communities to provide for themselves where they
can is consistent with the model across the region and Rangiora is extremely
well placed to do this,” he says.
Caseloads for the four CDHB employed midwives delivering
babies at Rangiora Hospital have been declining for sometime as more
self-employed Lead Maternity Carers (LMCs) moved into the district.
From January next year there will be five full-time
equivalent (FTE) or 11 ‘core’ midwives still working in the maternity unit at
Rangiora who provide post-natal care to new mothers and babies. They just will
not be delivering babies.
The four CDHB midwives who took responsibility for delivery
babies have all accepted positions at Christchurch Women’s Hospital, where their
skills will be greatly appreciated.
The CDHB has worked closely over the last year or more with
staff, the New Zealand College of Midwives (NZCOM), New Zealand Nurses’
Organisation, self-employed LMC’s in the district and other stakeholders
to ensure North Canterbury women have the right access to the right care in the
right places at the right time.