Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora is keen to establish a perinatal centre of excellence focused on newborn transitional care and primary birthing at the centre.
In the meantime, while the centre’s future is decided, it is being used by a collective of self-employed Māori and Pasifika midwives who plan to offer primary birthing services to people in their care.
A briefing on the centre’s future, requested by Health Minister Shane Reti, has been released to the Herald under the Official Information Act.
Health New Zealand officials reported the centre’s closure had no measurable effect on the capacity of maternity facilities in the area but acknowledged it reduced the options available to people giving birth.
Parent Centre childbirth educator and mum of three Charlotte Curtis previously said she was aware of one woman who had decided not to have any more children if she could not give birth at the centre.
Curtis said the woman had a traumatic hospital birth before having a second child at Te Awakairangi.
“When she came here she felt like her voice was the loudest voice in the room, she was heard and seen and had a really beautiful birth.”
There were 571 babies born at the centre while it was in operation, the briefing said.
Health Minister Shane Reti said Health New Zealand is continuing work to improve access to primary birthing services. Photo / Michael Cunningham
By comparison, there were 6415 babies born at Hutt Hospital between 2018 and 2021.
Health New Zealand Capital, Coast & Hutt Valley submitted a business case in June 2023 to establish a perinatal centre of excellence focused on newborn transitional care and primary birthing at the centre.
The amount of money requested was redacted in the briefing. The funding bid was declined as other projects were considered a higher priority.
In December 2023, Te Ao Marama Midwifery Tapui, a collective of self-employed Māori and Pasifika midwives, started operating from the centre.
“They currently offer culturally responsive antenatal and postnatal services and plan to offer primary birthing services to women under their care within the first quarter of 2024,” the briefing said.
“No firm date has yet been agreed for birthing services to resume at the premises.”
Māori made up 22 per cent and Pasifika nine per cent of people giving birth in the Capital & Coast and Hutt Valley areas in 2021.
A greater proportion of Māori and Pacific people give birth each year compared to non-Māori, non-Pasifika people, creating demand for services tailored to their needs, the briefing said.
Health New Zealand spokesman Jamie Duncan told the Herald Te Ao Marama Midwifery has worked with 84 whānau since they began operating from the centre.
“They aim to develop [it] into a ‘maternity hub’ that may potentially also offer primary birthing services to people in their care at some point in the future.”
Health Minister Shane Reti said he expected Health New Zealand to explore all options to improve or enhance the delivery of safe healthcare and services that best meet the needs of people and communities throughout Aotearoa.
Health NZ continued work to improve access to primary birthing services more generally, Reti said.
“The range of services that could be provided through the former Te Awakairangi facility – including the earlier proposal to establish a perinatal centre of excellence focussed on providing newborn transitional care and primary birthing – will also be considered as part of this work.”
Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in women’s health, local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.
