Combining Whanganui and Palmerston North's maternity services was "half-assed" admits health boss Julie Patterson.
At a Whanganui District Health Board meeting on Friday, member Philippa Baker-Hogan questioned what the board had received for the $230,000 spent on the regional maternity service, set up in 2013 in response to uncertainty around obstetric cover at Whanganui Hospital.
"A lot of effort and time was spent on this service, and now we're moving away from that. What did we get for $230,000?" Ms Baker-Hogan asked.
Ms Patterson said it had been an "insurance policy".
"However, during that time we have been fully staffed and have never had to call on the back-up from MidCentral. The money was spent on the leadership and management structure for the service."