Midwives in Whakatāne and its surrounding areas are stepping forward to ensure that the whānau in their community continue to receive the right maternity care, in the right place, at the right time.

In December, Health NZ (HNZ) Bay of Plenty | Te Whatu Ora Te Hauora a Toi announced that due to the resignation of its obstetric staff, from mid-January 2025 Whakatāne would not have acute obstetric services available. The Bay of Plenty district is intending to reinstate full services once recruitment is completed. In the meantime, women who need scheduled obstetric consultations during pregnancy can continue to have these in Whakatāne, but now have to travel to Tauranga hospital for labour and birth care when obstetric services are required.

Whilst this is disappointing for women who will have to travel further, whānau can be reassured that midwifery services continue both in the community and Whakatāne hospital. Local midwife Brogen McBeth says “We are here for our communinites, the whānau, māmā and pēpe who need maternity care. Midwives are on the ground, available and accessible.We want to reassure our whānau that midwives in the community and in Whakatāne hospital bring expertise and experience to every birth, expertly handling emergencies and supporting physiological birth with compassionate, evidence-based care”.

Around Aotearoa there are approximately 50 midwife-led primary maternity facilities, and many are in rural and remote rural areas at significant distance from hospital services. These facilities are staffed by experienced and skilled midwives, and act as essential community hubs which whānau access for antenatal midwifery clinic appointments, acute assessments, labour and birth, and postnatal care. Whakatāne hospital is transitioning to this model for the foreseeable future, with the addition of neonatal paediatric services which continue to be available.

Midwives are qualified to provide comprehensive antenatal, birth and postpartum care, which centres the needs and preferences of the woman and her whānau. This includes making assessments throughout pregnancy to support women’s decision making about their planned place of birth – at home, in a primary maternity facility or in hospital. Midwives work collaboratively with obstetricians, GPs and other services when necessary to ensure safe care.

New Zealand College of Midwives Midwifery Advisor Claire MacDonald says that midwives are continuing to provide high quality maternity services to women in the Eastern Bays. “In all of our rural areas, midwives are the most accessible maternity care providers. They know their communities and they know the lay of the land. Continuity of care strengthens their ability to provide tailored and responsive care in any setting”.

The College is supporting Bay of Plenty midwives to work with HNZ district leaders to ensure the needs of whānau are central. It is essential that processes are established to support seamless care for whānau who need to birth further away from home, and that HNZ prioritises the re-establishment of the full service.

© Scoop Media