Save our maternity sector from crisis

We are calling on the Government to urgently address the maternity crisis in Aotearoa, and to ensure that all pregnant people, parents and babies have the support they need to thrive.

Our maternity sector is in crisis, with major under-staffing and under-resourcing putting lives at risk. A lack of capacity across the country is leaving maternity units unable to care for any more patients, and delaying necessary medical care to people in need. Suicide is the leading cause of maternal death in Aotearoa but our maternal mental health teams are stretched beyond their limits. Glaring gaps across the sector are disproportionately affecting Māori women and babies, who experience ongoing systemic inequality and a lack of access to healthcare. Our maternity sector is disintegrating under strain, and our midwives, doctors and nurses are burning out from over work.

This is a crisis in the true sense of the word and we are calling on the government to act with urgency to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all birthing parents and babies in Aotearoa.

We call on the government to:

- Implement ALL recommendations from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) 2020 ‘Briefing to Incoming Ministers’ including the development of a collaborative Women’s Health strategy across the Ministry of Health and The Office for Women.

- Implement ALL recommendations as laid out in the 14th Annual Report (Appendices B–F) from the Perinatal Maternal Mortality Review Committee (PMMRC), including all recommendations that create a Tiriti-compliant system where it is safe for Māori women to give birth in Aotearoa.

- Ensure that Māori have equal voice in all decision-making and the development of health policy, process and practice in order to achieve equitable health outcomes.

- Guarantee ongoing funding and strengthen the roles of advisory groups including the National Maternity Monitoring Group (NMMG) and Perinatal Maternal Mortality Review Committee (PMMRC).

- Allocate adequate budget to fill the existing gaps, and to allocate further substantial budget to invest in staff training and retention, pay equity, and capital investment in maternity facilities across regional and rural centres, as well as tertiary hospitals.

- Work with professional unions and representative organisations to understand and address the serious issues facing the sector, including ways to address staff under-resourcing, burnout, retention and remuneration.

- Create sustainable pathways into the maternity workforce, including more supported training for Māori and Pasifika trainee doctors and midwives, specialty pathways for complex care midwifery, and clear frameworks for staff retention across the sector.

- Remove barriers to care for pregnant people by providing financial assistance where required, and by ensuring that all maternity care is free including removing co-pays for scans.

- Engage patient-advocates at all levels of decision making to ensure that changes made at the policy level reflect the need for change at the real-world level.