Maternity

Media Releases

Independent review reassures Wellington on maternity (9 Oct 2008)
Women and their babies in the Wellington region receive high quality maternity services which are as good as those elsewhere in the country, an independent review shows.

Review of Wellington’s maternity services (9 Jul 2008)
An independent review of the Wellington region’s maternity services commissioned by the Ministry of Health is now underway. Director-General of Health Stephen McKernan said the review will look at the relationship between Capital and Coast District Health Board and its maternity providers.“There is a need to clarify roles and responsibilities of maternity providers to ensure women and their babies in the Wellington area get safe and quality maternity services.”

Ministry of Health Releases Revised Maternity Facilities Access Agreement (14 March 2007)
The Ministry of Health has released the revised Maternity Facilities Access Agreement, a contract which sets out the obligations of Lead Maternity Carers (LMCs) when bringing women to hospitals and birthing units for labour and birth services, and of District Health Boards, who provide LMCs with access to their facilities to provide labour and birth services.

Maternity services get $11.4 million funding boost (2 Feb 2007)
Minister of Health Pete Hodgson has announced an additional $11.4 million (GST ex) for primary maternity services from 1 July 2007, at a meeting with key maternity stakeholders in Wellington yesterday.

Ministry of Health Consults with Maternity Sector (3 July 2006)
The Ministry of Health is consulting with the maternity sector on proposed changes to the way maternity services are currently being purchased and provided.

Ministry of Health says maternity services are high quality (15 November 2005)
The recent tragic cases of babies dying following breech delivery suggests that the care provided in those instances was inadequate. However, information available to the Ministry does not support the view that there is a systemic failure within maternity services.

Ministry of Health announces move to routinely offering antenatal HIV (13 June 2005)
New Zealand will progressively move to a policy of routinely offering antenatal HIV screening as part of antenatal care, Ministry of Health spokesman Dr Pat Tuohy said today.

Maternity report: Caesarean sections increasing, perinatal deaths falling (16 April 2003)
The number of women having caesarean section births in New Zealand hospitals is increasing, a Ministry of Health report on maternity services shows.

Page last updated: 9 October 2008