Minister acts on baby deaths report

The Government is investigating whether maternity services should be reviewed, following a damning report from Wellington coroner Garry Evans about the deaths of two babies.

Last week, Mr Evans called for an urgent review of midwifery training, saying the deaths of two babies in the Wellington region, in 2001 and 2003, were preventable.

His findings were highly critical of two independent midwives who handled the births and he has recommended to the Midwifery Council and new Health Minister Pete Hodgson that there be an urgent review of midwifery training, a reintegration of doctors into maternity services, a national audit of birth outcomes, and greater clinical supervision of graduating midwives.

The move comes amid growing concerns about a shortage of midwives in several regions, including Wellington, West Auckland and the Bay of Plenty. It also follows a huge plunge in the number of GPs offering obstetric services. Less than 20 GPs still provide such services, down from 600 in 1997.

Mr Hodgson told the Herald on Sunday he had asked a committee set up to look at newborn death rates to investigate the coroner's findings. If the committee felt there was a problem, then "we'll need to take a further look, a wider review of maternity services". He expected the committee to report back before Christmas.

Auckland GP William Ferguson said he was "hugely relieved" Mr Evans had publicly said "what I and a number of my colleagues have been telling the Ministry for a decade - we need a review."

Dr Bev Lawton, leader of the new women's health research centre at the Wellington School of Medicine, has also written to the health minister urging a review.

She said: "We hear a lot of anecdotal information about perinatal morbidity and mortality so we need to gather hard evidence and find out exactly what's going on."

New National new health spokesman Tony Ryall said the Government had known since 2002 there was a looming shortage of midwives. He would ask questions about it in Parliament this week.

Mr Hodgson confirmed last week an extra $18 million a year would be spent on maternity services, most of which will go towards boosting midwives' fees - but he recognised more needed to be done in the sector.

The Ministry had already begun to address the midwife shortage, and a review of the business rules, service specifications and quality requirements for maternity services was also underway, he said.

College of Midwives chief executive Karen Guilliland said the fee rise for midwives was justified because evidence showed midwives provided the best care for pregnant women.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY