Maternity downgrade may breach ministry guidelinesKavinda Herath/Stuff Northern Southland Health Ltd chairwoman Carrie Adams at the Lumsden Maternity Centre. The decision to downgrade the Lumsden Maternity Centre has been based on incorrect numbers, according to the chairwoman of Northern Southland Health Ltd.Northern Southland Health chairwoman Carrie Adams, who is fighting to save the centre's status as a primary birthing unit, said the decision may also put the Southern District Health Board in breach of its agreement with the Ministry of Health. The Lumsden facility is threatened with being demoted to a non-birthing maternal and child hub under a new maternity system of care proposed by the health board earlier this month. The board is obligated by the ministry to provide a primary maternity facility in any catchment that sees 100 pregnancies in a year and is more than an hour from a secondary service, Adams said. "It's our view that to close Lumsden would be in breach of the agreement between the Ministry of Health and the district health board."

Source: Stuff March 19, 2018 04:52 UTC