A pregnant woman was turned away from hospital’s birthing unit after staff shortages forcedits temporary closure.

The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) confirmed that the seven-bed unit closed about 10pm on Saturday and reopened at 7am on Sunday.During this period, a woman receiving post-natal care was transferred to another CDHB birthing unit in Lincoln and a lead maternity carer, seeking a facility for her client to give birth, was turned away.CDHB maternity services manager Jane Waite said the unit had been unable to source the one midwife required for the facility from among its eight employees or its casual staff at short notice.She said an unusual combination of sickness and “family reasons” meant the unit could not be staffed for four hours, resulting in the nine-hour closure until the next shift. Read more