6. Health Services—Southern District Health Board Maternity CareHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) to the Minister of HealthHealth Services—Southern District Health Board Maternity Care6. Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) to the Minister of Health: Does he support the decisions made by the Southern District Health Board contained in the primary maternity decision document released last Friday?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health): Given the strength of public feeling on this matter I asked Ministry of Health experts to review the Southern District Health Board's (DHB's) decision to provide me with assurance that mothers and babies will continue to receive the high-quality care they deserve. I have received that assurance. I'm advised that the new configuration will cost approximately the same as the current primary system but will be better integrated into other healthcare services. This will result in an overall higher level of services for women in the district. Given these assurances my answer to the member's question is yes. Hon Michael Woodhouse: How can he support the decision to downgrade Lumsden Maternity Centre from a birthing unit to a non-birthing unit when it was made on the basis of flawed data and the reviewers did not even visit the Lumsden Maternity Centre to verify that data?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: The Ministry reviewed Southern DHB's decision and raised no concerns about the quality of data used in reaching that decision.Hamish Walker: Supplementary?SPEAKER: Supplementary Tim van de Molen.Hamish Walker: Can he guarantee—SPEAKER: Oh Hamish Walker. I apologise.Hamish Walker: Thanks. I knew you'd get there. No worries.SPEAKER: I apologise to both members.Hamish Walker: Can the Minister guarantee that mothers and babies in northern Southland won't die or suffer permanent injury because they are too far away from a specialist maternity unit in their greatest time of need?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Due to the intense community interest and the impact of travel distances I'm advised the Southern DHB sought external advice from midwifery consultants to help them understand this risk. The external advisers provided their opinion that there is no additional clinical risk in moving Lumsden to a maternal and child hub as opposed to a birthing facility if Southern DBH implements the required mitigation. These mitigations include the provision of equipment and processes to support urgent births and greater support to ensure the sustainability of community midwifes who can help women plan to manage the travel required.Hamish Walker: What is that guarantee worth when the data used is wrong when the birthing unit at the Lumsden Maternity Centre is closing and the Te Ānau air ambulance service that takes urgent cases to the right facilities is also at risk?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I reject the first premise in the member's question.Hon Jacqui Dean: How can he support the decision not to establish a birthing unit in Wānaka one of the fastest-growing areas in the South Island before the results of census 2018 are known?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: For the first time there is likely to be a new maternal and child hub in Wānaka. The previous Government didn't put one there.Hon Jacqui Dean: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was specific to the Minister and asked why the decision was not to establish a birthing unit in Wānaka. I didn't mention a birthing hub.SPEAKER: Does the member really want him to have another go?Hon Jacqui Dean: I'd be delighted to.SPEAKER: The Minister will answer the question again.Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Thank you Mr Speaker and thank you to the member. The changes the DHB is proposing to make are to increase the services available to women across the district. They will improve the quality of services. The previous Government didn't put any services there for the women who wanted to give birth; we are.