Censure over SDHB's dealings with MPs

Chris Fleming
Chris Fleming
Parliament's health select committee has delivered a stinging rebuke to the Southern District Health Board and Ministry of Health over their dealings with MPs.

The committee yesterday reported back on the petition of Iona Bentley, which called for a sustainable model of rural community midwifery in Wanaka.

Its report expressed unease at delays in establishing a child and maternal hub in Wanaka, and said MPs were concerned at the findings of a highly critical independent report on how the SDHB had implemented its region-wide review of maternity services.

That report, by Ernst and Young, found the strategy implementation had unclear accountabilities and inconsistent reporting, and lacked formalised project management practices and a clear definition of what a child and maternal hub was.

"In some cases these findings differed from the assurances provided by the [Health] Ministry and the SDHB to both the Minister and to us," the report, agreed to by both Government and Opposition MPs, said.

MPs noted the SDHB had completed just one of the Ernst and Young report’s nine recommendations; seven were in progress and work on one had not started.

"We are also concerned about the time being taken to establish a child and maternal hub in Wanaka," they said.

"At the time of our annual review of SDHB in March 2019, it indicated that the location of the hub in Wanaka would very likely be announced that month.

"However, an announcement was not made until June 2019."

MPs said shortcomings highlighted in the Ernst and Young report might have contributed to difficulties in recruiting and retaining midwives in Wanaka.

"We are aware that, since we heard submissions on this petition, one woman in Wanaka was unable to access a primary birthing unit during the birth of her child, and because there was no child and maternal hub in Wanaka at the time, she gave birth on the floor of her midwife’s office.

"We acknowledge the difficulty this woman faced due to the lack of available facilities in Wanaka."

MPs encouraged the ministry, SDHB and the New Zealand College of Midwives to work together to address maternity care issues in Wanaka, and specifically asked the SDHB to report progress on setting up the Wanaka hub.

SDHB chief executive Chris Fleming said the organisation had accepted the conclusions of the Ernst and Young report.

"We have always aimed to share accurate information with all parties throughout this process," he said.

"I also respectfully disagree that the findings from the mid-implementation review have contributed to the challenges in recruiting and retaining midwives — this challenge predates the strategy, and has been improved by the steps we have implemented."

Mr Fleming said more than $250,000 had been made available for lead maternity carer midwives in Wanaka, over and above direct Ministry of Health funding, and the SDHB had also covered business costs for LMCs operating from an interim hub.

"As a result, more LMCs have begun or resumed practising in the Wanaka area, improving the sustainability of the service," Mr Fleming said.

"We know there is more work to do in this area, and are working with the newly formed Central Lakes Locality Network and others to progress discussions around the best configuration for a primary birthing unit in this fast-growing part of our district."

The SDHB is still reviewing maternity services in Central Otago. Mr Fleming said the board hoped to make a decision by mid- next year.

 

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement