Post by Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists RANZCOG

Yesterday, the Aotearoa New Zealand government handed down Budget 2026. Included was a $34.4 million commitment to fund the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) (3-Day Postnatal Stay) Amendment Bill which gives mothers and babies the right to remain in a postnatal facility for a minimum of three days, after giving birth, unless they choose to leave earlier. RANZCOG and New Zealand College of Midwives (NZCOM) welcome this significant investment into maternity care and strongly support the principle that all women should have access to appropriate care following their birth. The extra provision for care will result in positive outcomes for some whānau and babies. However, with $34.4 million available to support implementation, both Colleges assert the importance that funding be used flexibly, to accommodate a nuanced and individualised needs-based approach to supporting different women and whānau in the way that best meets their needs. There are also myriad systemic issues which will undermine the effectiveness of the three-day-postnatal-stay bill, if not urgently addressed by the government. For example, workforce shortages and capacity of facilities. Read more in the full joint statement on the RANZCOG website: https://lnkd.in/gsUxDq_j