Te Whatu Ora Southern has confirmed that Wānaka’s new primary birthing unit will open early next year, following “a few minor building alterations”.

The organisation (previously the Southern District Health Board) purchased a ready-made lodge in Albert Town recently for an undisclosed sum, abandoning plans to design a new unit from the ground up.

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has granted consent to establish a four bed primary birthing unit at the eight-bedroom, 545sqm residence on 6,196sqm on Monteith Road.

Read more: Ready-made lodge purchased for birthing unit

Wānaka Maternal and Child Hub co-ordinator Morgan Weathington said the team was excited to have a primary birthing unit in Wānaka. 

“It is an incredible celebration for the midwives, families, and community stakeholders, who have advocated for a birthing unit in Wānaka,” she said.

Wānaka midwives - and Hannah Gentile - share a toast to the new birthing unit. PHOTO: Supplied

In June 2021 the SDHB agreed to establish a birthing unit in Wānaka and another in Central Otago (located at Dunstan Hospital in Clyde). The Clyde unit will replace Alexandra’s Charlotte Jean Maternity Hospital.

The decision followed a long process and much advocacy from local groups, including local Lead Maternity Care (LMC) midwives and the Save Our Wānaka Midwives group, for a primary birthing unit (equipped for supporting healthy women with no medical complications through labour, birth, and in-patient postnatal care) in Wānaka. 

Wānaka women currently face an hour’s drive to the nearest primary birthing unit (Charlotte Jean) or a three and a half hour drive to Dunedin Hospital

Among the property’s many advantages is plenty of parking. PHOTO: Wānaka App

Te Whatu Ora Southern primary maternity acting service manager Hannah Gentile said the new facility will extend the range of birth choices for local families.

“This beautiful birthing facility is a well-established property and will enable closer-to-home care in a welcoming and comfortable environment,” she said.

Hannah said the building alterations will take place while the midwifery team work toward finalising the midwifery model of care, and the policies and procedures necessary to guarantee a safe “childbearing journey” for Wānaka whānau before the doors open in early 2023. 

The unit, which will incorporate one birthing room and three postnatal stay rooms, was made possible with support from the local Wānaka community and the Ministry of Health, Te Whatu Ora said.

Hannah said approximately 180 to 200 women in Wānaka receive care through local Lead Maternity Carers, and Te Whatu Ora Southern expects around half of these pregnant women will now choose to birth at the new birthing unit, “dramatically cutting down their travel time to a birthing facility and allowing for midwifery model of care which meets the needs of the community, on their own doorstep”.

Te Whatu Ora Southern director of midwifery Karen Ferraccioli said the unit will also “bring value” to the wider maternity scene and the rural midwifery framework. 

“It will provide a quality and safe service in accordance with the MOH service specification and will support the primary maternity workforce.”

She said the maternity team was grateful to the vendor and real estate agent, who expressed their excitement in being part of enabling this service to be available to the Wānaka community.