Government again fails southern midwives

Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean is disappointed and dismayed that midwives have once again been ignored by this Government and this year’s Budget.

“I’m gutted for mothers and babies in Wanaka and Central Otago that they’re not going to get the additional funding they so desperately need, because the broken funding model has still not been fixed by the Labour Government.

“On the International Day Of The Midwife on May 5 at the daily Covid-19 conference, the PM made a strong show of acknowledging the work of midwives. It is very disappointing that this hasn’t translated into the support the sector needs and deserves.

“We’ve still got midwives who have left the profession because they feel unsupported. We’re still left with mothers who have to travel long distances to Dunedin Hospital for anything other than a normal birth.

“The previous National Government reached a settlement agreement with the New Zealand College of Midwives (NZCOM) to develop a new funding model. The current Government has stopped this work in its tracks and midwives are yet to see any progress.

“The lack of progress is completely unacceptable and severely risks us losing the midwives who are so important to New Zealand’s workforce. This must be remedied immediately.”