DHB midwives had been told in a memo that because of a shortage of midwives — the DHB 15 such vacancies, a third of its workforce — a six-bed maternity ward would be closed for those two months, on top of six Wellington Hospital maternity beds closed for the last year due to a lack of midwives. Plainly, such a serious lack of midwives — many GPs nationally have opted out of delivering babies because it’s simply not economically viable — is a major problem. Whether the shortage is a result of a lack of midwives in New Zealand generally is not clear. If it is, that would suggest that its appeal as a career is waning. This whole sorry situation was a stark example of the under-resourcing of our health system. And the offer of an inducement smacked of desperation. The board is still set to encourage swift departures by mothers, just without the bribe. Read more…