Mothers 'bribed' to leave hospital

Wellington mothers are being "bribed" with $100 grocery vouchers to leave hospital within six hours of giving birth.

The policy, set to take effect during December and January, will put pressure on mothers who are most in need of support and leave vulnerable babies at risk, clinicians and women's health advocates say.

A woman, due to have her second child in January, said she was appalled to be told second-time mothers would be discharged directly from the delivery suite after normal births.

"My midwife was horrified. This is treating women like numbers, that is if you push your baby out quick enough, here's your $100 reward."

A Capital and Coast District Health Board memo to midwives this week said because of staff shortages, Ward 14 would be closed during December and January, reducing the number of post-natal beds by six.

Six of Wellington Hospital's 40 maternity beds have been closed permanently for the past year because of a lack of midwives.

Two beds would be available at Paraparaumu Maternity Unit for women recovering from difficult births.

The squeeze on maternity services comes as Capital and Coast went into code red again this week, meaning no beds free at either Wellington or Kenepuru hospitals from 9pm on Tuesday.

A board spokeswoman said it was unusual to be in code red at this time of year, and it was caused by a spike in the number of acute patients.

Mothers in Wellington, Kenepuru and Paraparaumu who left hospital within six hours of a normal birth would get a $100 voucher for "nappies or prepackaged meals to support the family during the first 48-hour period", but it could be spent on anything except alcohol and cigarettes.

Board chairwoman Judith Aitken gave her "absolute assurance" to all women expecting in December and January they would not be sent home if there was a clinical reason to remain in hospital.

But Maternity Services Consumer Council spokeswoman Lynda Williams said the voucher policy amounted to bribery. "This will appeal to people who are most in need of support and after-birth care."

Six hours was not enough time to cement the mother-baby bond and establish breastfeeding, she said. "With New Zealand's appalling child abuse statistics, we should be doing everything we can to support mothers and babies."

Wellington Hospital has 15 midwife vacancies - almost a third of its total workforce. Women's Health Services manager Delwyn Hunter said more staff were due to join the service, and vacancies would be down to eight by April.

Hospitals used to offer free nappies to encourage mothers to leave early, but this policy had largely been abandoned.

In 2005, Hutt Valley District Health Board said it stopped the practice as it "had concerns this may be an inappropriate incentive for unwell women to go home".