Staffing issues led to temporary maternity change at Dunedin Hospital
A temporary measure to provide maternity care due to critical staffing shortages at Dunedin's Queen Mary Maternity Ward is now over.
The shortage happened between January 7 and 10, prompting the Southern District Health Board (DHB) to close part of the maternity ward and care for parents and babies in another part of the hospital, called a Maternity Pod Annex.
That ended on Monday morning, when the maternity ward returned to its usual settings.
It was the first time the Southern DHB had used a Maternity Pod Annex as a temporary solution to a staffing shortage.
Midwifery director Karen Ferracioli said the strategy had been successfully relied upon elsewhere in New Zealand previously.
The DHB was confident it could operate again at short notice, if required, she said.
Staffing challenges were not unique to the Southern DHB, nor to just Dunedin, Ferracioli said.
"Southland Hospital has similarly been experiencing staffing shortages in maternity care, and our team there have been working hard to ensure parents and babies are receiving the care they need."
Southern DHB remained committed to providing excellent care for all families throughout the region who need to use maternity services, she said.
It was also supporting staff working with other national organisations on the challenges facing the sector across the country.
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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83.3% Yes
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14.3% No
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2.4% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
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