Kia ora koutou members,

I want to acknowledge employed midwives in Auckland, already in short staffed environments who are working above and beyond at present, to cover for colleagues who have been required to self-isolate as a result of the current outbreak. Thank you for all you are doing to support the maternity service and your colleagues at present.

As always, please feel free to contact the College on our main office number (03) 377 2732 or via the covid-19@nzcom.org.nz email if you have any queries or concerns. There is just one update today.

Ministry of Health advice for Community-based Midwives: update

The Ministry of Health has updated the following advice, which can all be found on the Covid-19 Maternity page:

• Advice for community-based midwives
• Supporting table: Advice for community-based midwives caring for women who are probable, confirmed COVID-19 cases, or under investigation for COVID-19

Please familiarise yourself with these documents if you are a community-based midwife.

Key points:

For labour and birth: Clinical responsibility to be transferred to the DHB maternity service for labour and birth care if the woman has tested positive (follow established DHB pandemic protocols).

For women who meet HIS criteria and have not tested positive, care for labour and birth is discussed between LMC and DHB. This is not an automatic handover and will be dependent on the woman’s specific risk profile

Going to work

Community-based midwives must not go to work if they have:

• experienced cold or flu symptoms. Workers should be symptom free for 48 hours before returning to work
• been in any places of interest in the last 14 days
• been in close contact with a confirmed or probable COVID-19 case in the last 14 days.

If you have provided care to a COVID-19 confirmed woman, or a woman who is symptomatic and is awaiting test results, but have followed all the recommended protective measures, you should continue to work normally. If you develop symptoms you should phone Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or your doctor.

Ngā mihi

Alison Eddy

Chief Executive

New Zealand College of Midwives|Te Kāreti o ngā Kaiwhakawhānau ki Aotearoa