NZNO Welcomes Te Whatu Ora Backdown On Wellington Maternity Services

Te Whatu Ora's decision to pull the plug on a trial to take beds away from Wellington Hospital's maternity and gynaecology wards is the right decision, NZNO says.

It was revealed yesterday that Wellington Hospital was cutting beds from its maternity and gynaecology wards in a trial designed to make more room for patients from its overcrowded Emergency Department.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōputanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) raised concerns it would put the health care of women and their newborn babies at risk.

NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goutler says Te Whatu Ora's backdown is welcome.

"This is the right thing to do. Mums and their new babies will be provided with better health care and it will improve the wellbeing of their whānau.

"It's good that Te Whatu Ora listened to health care workers on matters such as this. However, it still doesn't address staffing issues for midwives and nurses," Paul Goulter says.

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