5. NICKY WAGNER (National) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
What action is the Government taking to improve maternity services?
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) Link to this
The latest report of the Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee for 2009 confirms that maternity services are performing well but that improvements are needed, and the Government is doing that. This year we have committed an extra $54 million for our maternity quality and safety programme, and for extra Plunket and Tāmariki Ora visits, particularly focused on new mothers who need additional support. That extra funding comes on top of additional funding for improving maternity services in our first year. This year $33 million extra has gone into new national Maternity Standards, revised referral guidelines for midwives and doctors, and the building of a comprehensive maternity database, which went live last weekend.
What support has there been from the health sector for the Government’s maternity quality and safety programme?
The medical colleges representing obstetricians, general practitioners, midwives, and anaesthetists say that this programme is a big step forward in providing women and their babies with a safer, more streamlined maternity service. The Government’s maternity quality and safety programme is the result of 2 years of collaborative effort by all of these groups, and I must say that getting all of them on the same page is a significant achievement that shows a new era of cooperation and commitment by maternity professionals, and the Government thanks them for that.