Wanaka and Te Anau will have ''maternal and child hubs'' created as part of a new model for community-based maternity services, the Southern District Health Board announced yesterday.
As part of its proposed Southern Maternity System of Care, the health board said the district maternity system would have eight primary birthing units, and five maternal and child hubs, including upgraded hubs in Tuatapere and Ranfurly.
The health board defined the hubs as a ''centre focused on providing antenatal and post- natal services that meet the needs of women and their babies in the local community''.
It said the hub could include rooms for midwifery consultation and equipment such as a home-birth kit and cardiotocography for monitoring foetal heart rates and contractions.
The hubs would be non-birthing units, but could be ''scaled up to become primary birthing units if birth numbers and workforce availability change'', the health board said.
Wanaka midwife Deb Harvey said she was ''a bit underwhelmed'' and ''confused'' by the proposal.
''It's not anything like what we've been talking about. I've told them I think we should get a primary birthing unit.''
''They've [the health board] have had this in the pipeline for ages. Hasn't the situation in Wanaka changed?''
Last month the Otago Daily Timesreported Ms Harvey would become the last remaining LMC midwife in Wanaka from April onwards, a situation that has led the health board to provide interim locum support for three months.
Ms Harvey believed the health board was focusing on finding short-term solutions in Wanaka to avoid the cost of providing locum support for an extended period.
She will meet the board next week and said she would tell it a primary birthing unit in Wanaka should be made a priority.
The proposal could be a move in the right direction for Te Anau, whose last midwife, Jo Lundman, left her position last year after struggling to make ends meet.
However, Lumsden will suffer a setback as its in-patient primary birthing unit will change to a maternal and child hub, according to the proposal.
Health board executive director of strategy, primary and communities Lisa Gestro said the aim of the proposal was to ''provide district-wide primary maternity services which are clinically sound, sustainable, and support safe primary birthing''.
Her thoughts were backed by the board's chief nursing and midwifery officer, Jane Wilson.
''The health and safety of mothers and their babies is always our paramount concern.
''A strong, integrated network of primary maternity services is the best way to provide safe and effective care and ensures services are equitable and sustainable for the future.''
The health board also said a feasibility study would be undertaken later in the year to determine whether a primary birthing unit for Dunedin was warranted in the future, due to the rebuild of Dunedin Hospital.
