The Lumsden Maternity Centre was downgraded to a maternal and child hub in April 2018. Emails released under the Official Information Act raise questions about the Southern District Health Board's decision to transition the Lumsden Maternity Centre in to a maternal and child hub, an MP says. Clutha-Southland MP Hamish Walker said the emails raised eight "major alarm bells" concerning the downgrade of the centre, which happened in April last year. The centre was downgraded to a maternal and child hub after the Southern DHB reviewed its maternity services. Walker said there was an "intentional downplaying of emergencies by using language such as 'rapid birth' as opposed to emergency birth" in the reviews.

Source: Stuff November 26, 2019 00:44 UTC