Maternity changes with lower funding

The Waiau Health Trust has accepted a funding offer from the Southern District Health Board to run Tuatapere Maternity, even though it fears the amount is insufficient, trust chairman Justin Lewis says.

Mr Lewis said the trust accepted a funding decrease, which allowed the centre to trial the cheaper, independent-midwife model for six months.

Funding was backdated to April 1, from which point the trust had been self-funding the centre while locked in negotiations.

Initially, the DHB wanted the centre to close at the end of March, saying it was neither clinically nor financially sustainable.

"It became apparent there was simply no way forward without compromising a little in this area [of cost]," Mr Lewis said.

"This obviously is of concern, as the service was marginal anyway, however we have done considerable work around an [independent-midwife] model which will provide cost savings.

"We are approaching this in a positive way, and will try our best to make this work for our community," Mr Lewis said.

Mr Lewis said the funding was on par with what the centre received in the late 1990s, and would not allow provision for building maintenance.

He was concerned the model risked the financial security of the midwives, who could no longer rely on a salary.

In an email, Southern DHB funding and finance general manager Robert Mackway-Jones said the funding would allow the trust time to trial a "more sustainable model" of maternity care.

- eileen.goodwin@odt.co.nz

 

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