National List MP based in Hutt South says the Government’s failure to save the Te Awakairangi Birthing Centre at Melling is disgraceful and a slap in the face to the 6000+ people who signed this petition in favour of saving the centre.

“Hutt maternity services are in crisis and this short-sighted decision will make a bad situation even worse. Last weekend Hutt Hospital’s maternity ward went into a “code red” staffing crisis, the number of Lead Maternity Carers in the Hutt is at record lows, and the hospital maternity service is short 15 out of 50 full time staff.

“The Te Awakairangi Birthing Centre only opened three years ago and will now close down because the Hutt Valley District Health Board refuses to fund it and Government Ministers have refused to step in to save it.

“Over 6000 people signed a petition in favour of saving the centre and hundreds of people emailed Ministers and the DHB arguing for funding to be extended to save it. Both the DHB and Ministers have ignored them.

“The DHB is funded for maternity services and all the birthing centre is saying is that women who choose to birth in the birthing centre should be able to access that funding.

“Not everyone wants to give birth in a hospital and closure of the birthing centre will put even more pressure on Hutt Hospital.

“The closure of the birthing centre is a disaster for mums, babies and families in the Hutt Valley and locals need to know that the DHB and the government are to blame.” 

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