Birthing unit closure reduces women’s birth choices

Another blow to women’s health and their maternity options.

That’s how one Auckland midwife is describing the closure of the Parnell Birthcare primary birthing unit, owned by Australian medical company, Evolution Healthcare.

It’s almost a year to the day that the Huntly primary birthing unit closed, also owned by Evolution Healthcare, leaving that town without a birthing unit.

Auckland Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) midwife, Jasmine Russek, says having options when it comes to choosing where to have your baby, is really important for women.

“Research shows that having choices contributes to women having confidence in their choices around childbirth, and confidence contributes to positive experiences and outcomes for both mum and baby,” she says. “With Birthcare closing in Auckland, well-women are left to choose the hospital or homebirth, and some may not be able to have their baby at home for any one of a number of reasons. That leaves one choice, hospital, and that may not where well-women want or need to be,” she says.

Research and studies shows that healthy, well-women women who plan to give birth at home or in a primary unit (as opposed to in hospital) are more likely to have a vaginal birth with less intervention, compared with women who plan to give birth in a hospital obstetric unit.

“Hospital is not the best place for well women; it is a vitally important place for those with risk factors or complications, and that’s who should have access to those resources. We actually need more investment in primary maternity as this will mean less intervention in the birth process which means less cost to the health system. It’s also better for the mum and baby so it’s a win-win,” says Jasmine.

The reasons being given by Evolution Healthcare to justify the closure of their Parnell birthing facility, are being challenged by the College of Midwives.

It’s understood Evolution says women are choosing the hospital over the Birthcare so their numbers are down. They also say they are short of midwives.

College Chief Executive, Alison Eddy, says it appears that Evolution has not effectively engaged with the community, the local midwives or the hospital, and doesn’t appreciate the importance of primary birthing as a key choice for pregnant women.

“Staffing is a challenge as we all know but it is not insurmountable,” she says. “The development of our new birthing unit in Christchurch which opened earlier this year came after a lot of hard and focused proactive work including engaging with the community, the midwives, and the main hospital to ensure this key part of the maternity service could open and operate effectively – which it does,” she says.

Ms Eddy says it is disappointing that yet again, women’s health is being disregarded and little effort is going into recognising the importance of choice, positive outcomes and cost effectiveness in maternity.