‘Flying squad’ home birth teams?

Press, 16 April 1980, Page 6

‘Flying squad’ home birth teams?

The setting up of a “flying squad” for emergency home births should be considered if the Essex Maternity Hospital; is closed, according to * Heathcote county council- "•

Cr. B. K. Robert, told the Heathcote County’s townplaniiing committee yester-day-that the North Canterbury -Hospital Board should also urgently consider the training of more midwives forhome births and moves to .have paternity leave “in ali. areas of work.”

The Hospitals Advisory Council had asked the councilr if it had any comments abdiit the board’s intention toiclpse Essex on June 30. “The closing of the hospitals will be a serious loss loithe people of this district because it is the only hos-pitsl-in the area that allows women, to have free care and theijg choice of doctor,” Cr Roberts said. The next closest hospitals in ’this category were at Lincolh/’and Burwood, she said. “Kjiboth doctor, and patient haye/To travel so far it puts a Sggeat ( handicap on . the pregnant woman in getting prenatal- care and means that often; the doctor will not

arrive in time for the birth.” Because of the risk of cross-infection, it was preferable to have babies bom in a “free standing birth centre with access to family.” Cr Roberts said that if Essex was closed another hospital, such as the Karitane Hospital, should be found to fill the role, or provision made at the Christchurch Women’s Hospital for all women wanting to have their own doctor present at a birth.

The suggested “flying squad” would be similar to that working in Christchurch for road accidents and it could include a doctor and a midwife. Cr J. Richardson doubted the accuracy of some comments bv Cr Roberts. “We have got to get our facts straight and we are not the body to do that,” he said. He did not want the hospital’s closing to become a “political issue.” Cr P. Prebble said doctors felt “hamstrung” about the Essex situation. The hospital handled 400 births each year. Even with other public hospitals making more allowance for general practitioners to deliver babies, there

was doubt as to where 300 women, who would otherwise have gone to Essex, would now go. The relationship between doctors and their pregnant patients was vital, she said. Councillors felt they were not informed enough about the closing to adopt Cr Robert’s comments as a statement to the board. The committee’s chairman (Cr W. M. Hindmarsh) and Crs Roberts and Prebble will prepare a statement on behalf of the council.

They will also form a subcommittee to consider Heathcote County’s participation in “National Conservation Week” in August. Cr Hindmarsh suggested this after Cr Roberts suggested that the Council use space.in its offices and the county’s two libraries for conservation displays. She also wanted the council to choose two “appropriate books” for the libraries and to give suitable trees from its nursery to Ferrymead Historic Park. The council had been invited by the Counties Association to participate in the week-long conservation campaign.