February 19, 2014
Survey finds gaps in system
Counties Manukau District Health Board is changing some of its procedures as a result of a report that found teenage mothers and Maori and Pacific Island women were at risk of receiving inadequate care at south Auckland‘s Middlemore Hospital.
Researchers from independent health consultancy agency Pacific Perspectives heard complaints of inadequate clinical treatment, problems with rude hospital staff and overcrowding.
Margie Apa, the DHB’s director of strategic development, says the report focused on women who were less likely to use maternity services and also less likely to complain or fill out surveys.
She says the researchers had to go the extra mile to track the women down for focus groups and one on one interviews.
"They weren’t that keen to participate at first and it’s pretty raw feedback and we have been to hear it as a healthcare system, because it’s pretty easy for us to cater for the majority of women who probably have a pretty good experience, but the most vulnerable ones are the ones most likely to have poor health outcomes for the mums and babies if we don’t intervene early, and that’s one of the insights of this work, ," Ms Apa says.
The DHB will discuss the report with hospital staff, and it will also put more emphasis on getting mothers and babies in at 10 to 12 weeks so they can run scans and pick up any problems early.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH MARGIE APA CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MTU1MTc=
Copyright © 2014, UMA Broadcasting Ltd