COMMUNICATIONS

Canterbury Birthing Facilities

In response to recent media coverage about Christchurch Women’s Hospital, the Canterbury District Health Board would like to advise that:

· No women are being barred from giving birth at Christchurch Women’s Hospital

· Lead Maternity Carers only encourage women to give birth in a primary birthing unit if clinically appropriate.

· Overall in Canterbury, there is enough bed capacity for all birthing women. However, more than 90 per cent of pregnant women are giving birth at Christchurch Women’s Hospital and primary birthing facilities are being under used.

· Women who require specialist care need access to the facilities of a tertiary hospital and in future this could be compromised if more Canterbury women with fewer needs do not opt to birth in primary facilities.

“We see a lot of women coming to Christchurch Women’s, who would be just fine in a primary unit,” said Pauline Clark, General Manager Womens & Children’s Health, CDHB. 'In fact the vast majority of Canterbury births are normal, as they are in the rest of the world," she said.

“We want to encourage women who have previously had a perfectly normal delivery to consider all of their options before coming to a tertiary facility. If in the end, we make no difference we will have to look at putting a booking system in place but this is still some way off and would require consultation with a number of groups including Lead Maternity Carers and the women of Canterbury,” she said.

CDHB Board member and CEO of the College of Midwives, Karen Guilliland, endorses this approach as a sensible response to an urgent overcrowding issue.

“It is similar to the overcrowding the Board faces in Christchurch Hospital's Emergency Department. In both instances we are calling on the community to understand that effective high risk and emergency services must take priority in these areas and where there is an alternative and appropriate service it is in everyone’s interest that this is utilised.” she said.

ENDS