“The proposal smacked of desperation in the face of midwife shortages, and was only ever going to be a ‘band-aid’ approach to the problem. It may have also had the unintended consequence of providing an inappropriate incentive for some women to leave hospital earlier than they should have.”

Clinical factors, not monetary rewards, should be the only deciding issue in when a woman should leave hospital after giving birth, he said.

“Now it’s time for some serious action to help solve workforce shortages. The NZMA has been calling on the Government for many years to take action as problems with the health workforce are reaching crisis point in many areas. Not enough people are being trained, and many are going to work overseas where pay and conditions are often superior. Read full story…