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1052 days ago

Staffing issues led to temporary maternity change at Dunedin Hospital

Nicole Reporter from Dunedin News

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.

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More messages from your neighbours
6 hours ago

Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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6 hours ago

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15 days ago

What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.

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