Maternity unit pushed

By MARTIN JOHNSTON health reporter

An Auckland public hospital wants to expand its maternity unit only months after effectively forcing the closure of a private facility.

The Waitemata District Health Board now admits the hospital occupancy projections used when it axed funding to Birthcare Auckland's 10-bed post-natal unit in Glenfield were wrong.

It is still checking population and birth data and five-year projections, but expects North Shore Hospital's maternity unit will need 10 more post-natal beds.

The hospital's new, $7.2 million maternity unit opened last year with 26 post-natal beds. A 12-cot special-care baby unit will open in October.

Last October, the board voted not to enter a contract with Birthcare, despite the firm previously receiving taxpayer money to care for women and babies in its unit at the Glenfield Southern Cross Hospital.

Birthcare, which also owns delivery and post-natal facilities in Parnell and Huntly, closed its North Harbour unit in December.

Post-natal patients staying at the Parnell unit, and formerly at North Harbour, can have a private room if they pay an extra fee.

Birthcare managing director Lee Mathias was yesterday angry at the board's treatment of her, but wants the opportunity to bid for the 10 extra beds.

"I told them, 'You will find you won't have enough beds'."

The board's ideological preference for state services had cost her company a third of its business, she said.

Board chief executive Dwayne Crombie said the effects of the special-care baby unit and of migration to the North Shore had been underestimated.

The hospital's number of post-natal beds was based on 2000 figures. "No one could have predicted the migration we've had in Auckland in the last 18 months."

When the board ruled against having a Birthcare contract, North Shore Hospital's maternity unit was only half-full.

"We can't run empty beds in the public system while paying a private provider."

Ms Mathias said Shore women were frustrated by the loss of the Glenfield unit. She suspected some who gave birth at North Shore Hospital were providing false, Auckland central addresses to sidestep rules intended to prevent their going to Birthcare Parnell for their post-natal stay.