Delayed consultation about where the Southern District Health Board should base Central Lakes primary birthing facilities should begin soon.
Population growth, particularly in Wanaka, means services in a region covered by units in Queenstown and Alexandra are under review.
In its 2018 regionwide review of maternity services, the SDHB deferred a decision on that.
A recent report on the implementation of the review warned time was running out for the board to meet its own deadline for that work.
A paper for an SDHB meeting on Monday recommends the board approves a programme of research and consultation to start immediately, to meet a June 30 deadline.
"While it is not feasible to have a facility in each sub-locality within the district, overall pregnancy and birthing numbers within these areas suggest that a decision needs to be made, which will provide increased access to primary maternity services within the Central region," primary care and population health general manager Mary Cleary-Lyons and Central Lakes Locality Network chairwoman Helen Telford said.
The 2018 strategy suggested the prime options were a new facility in Wanaka, maintaining Alexandra, or building a new facility in Cromwell or Clyde.
The SDHB is legally required to provide or fund primary maternity facilities for catchments of 200 pregnancies where a facility is 30 minutes from a secondary service, and for catchments of 100 pregnancies where a facility is an hour away.
"Because of the burgeoning populations in Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes District, depending on how the identified ‘catchments’ are treated, it is entirely probable that for sub-localities within this part of the district that we are no longer meeting this part of our requirements," the paper said.
Lobby group Save Our Wanaka Midwives, which has long called for a primary birthing unit to be built in the town, said it was positive consultation would start.
"That said, it is just another focus group," spokeswoman Iona Bentley said.
"We put a petition in to the Government about this two years ago and I’ve had another baby since then ... it was always going to be too late for many women."
Cost was always going to be an issue for the SDHB, she said.
"A hospital with obstetric facilities in Cromwell and a primary birthing unit in Wanaka is what we would love, but we all know the DHB is not operating in positive figures."
Monday’s meeting agenda includes an update for SDHB on actions taken following the Ernst and Young review of the maternity strategy, a document which contained stringent criticism of the plan implementation.
A report from strategy, primary and community executive director Lisa Gestro said a new director of midwifery role had been created, with responsibility for overseeing maternity system strategy.
All maternal and child hubs now existed, the refit of the Wanaka hub was unfinished and hub co-ordinators were in place.
A sustainability package for lead maternity carer midwives was complete, and while there were problems hiring workers, several locums had agreed to work in the district.
