The number of East Coast women giving birth in Tauranga has jumped tenfold since Whakatāne Hospital lost its obstetric services in January.
Data released under the Official Information Act shows 237 East Coast babies were born at Tauranga Hospital in theeight months to August, compared with just 20 in the same period last year.
Whakatāne Hospital’s maternity service – which averages 650 births a year – was downgraded to a primary birth unit in mid-January, after four of its five obstetricians resigned, and services will not resume before next April.
One in three East Coast women sent to Tauranga to give birth so far have been emergency transfers.
Co-leader of the midwives’ union, MERAS, Caroline Conroy said that meant – on average – an extra birth a day at Tauranga Hospital.
“It’s not so much the birthing numbers, it’s the cumulative affect on their maternity ward, after mums have had their babies and are staying on the maternity ward,” she said.
“It might be one extra birth a day, but if those mums are staying 2-3 days, that’s 2-3 extra mums, so it starts to impact on capacity.”
While most women would have the option to transfer to Whakatāne Hospital for their post-natal stay, that was an hour away by road, which was tough on someone who had just had a caesarean section or even just a normal birth with a new baby, she said.
Health NZ had planned to put more staff resource into Tauranga to meet the extra demand in the busy unit, but the biggest strain was on families, Conroy said.
“Women are having to leave their local area, local support and local midwives for care. That’s the most critical thing, because feeling safe when you’re giving birth does impact outcomes.
“Some of them are having to stay 2-3 days in local motels, because you can never quite predict when someone is going to go into labour, so that can be quite disruptive for a family.”
Health NZ said it had made good progress, with four specialists recruited from overseas, and remained on track to resume full secondary obstetrics and gynaecology services at Whakatāne Hospital by March/April 2026.
