Half the midwifery positions at Wellington and Hutt Valley hospitals are vacant and the gaps are putting safe care in jeopardy, board members have heard.

Shortages of nurses, sonographers, social workers, radiographers and now anaesthetic technicians “remain at critical levels” as staff turnover hits a three-year high of 19%, papers tabled on Friday in a joint meeting for elected Capital & Coast and Hutt Valley board members said.

The figures come after Wellington Hospital confirmed it was about 90% full on any given day, just weeks out from winter.

The number of nursing vacancies in Wellington had almost doubled in 12 months, sitting at 450 in March, or 15% of the workforce. In Hutt Valley, 6% of nursing positions were vacant.

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“(Maternity) staffing as a result of Covid alongside the vacancy rate is impacting our ability to provide safe care,” a monthly report for March said. At the time, the vacancy rate was 38% in Wellington. It’s since jumped to about 50% at both sites, despite an international recruitment campaign.

Speaking after the meeting, Hutt Valley district health board member Prue Lamason said the situation for women birthing in Hutt was “abysmal”, particularly amid ongoing shortages of midwives working in the community.

These midwives, known as lead maternity carers (LMCs), are paid by the Ministry of Health and are not employed by the hospital.

“There is such a shortage of LMCs, women almost have to ring an LMC the morning after they have had sex just in case they get pregnant,” Lamason said.

In the meeting, Lamason voiced her frustration about the long-standing issues facing Hutt maternity services, which have been at crisis point for several years. A review made public in 2020 found “systemic failures" in Hutt Hospital’s maternity services contributed to a baby's death in 2016.

“What bothers me is the slow progress ... It doesn't seem like there's any sense of urgency at all,” she told the executive leadership team at the meeting.

“I suggest the reason some have left is not just because there's a huge shortage, but the conditions they're working in at Hutt DHB,” Lamason said.

Director of provider services for the region’s hospitals, Joy Farley, said while the vacancies had “huge implications” on services, the DHBs were doing all they could to reduce the workload of midwives in short-staffed units.

“We have an extensive work plan in place where we have looked at what roles we can place registered nurses and support workers into, that support midwives,” Farley told board members.

“We have looked at issues around administrative support and how we can relieve midwifery staff of as much non-midwifery work as we possibly can.”

Midwifery students were also used to plug gaps, under supervision. An extensive backup roster was in place too, Farley said.

Theatre, bed capacity and private hospital outsourcing was becoming "increasingly limited by Covid-19 inpatient demands and staff shortages", the board heard. A reduction in ICU capacity was also impacting electives for heart surgery.

Farley told members hospital leaders “look aggressively and openly at what we can do differently” to improve vacancy rates.

Public Service Association organiser Will Matthews was not surprised to hear the DHBs were facing critical shortages in allied health when some skilled workers were paid “less than a shift supervisor at KFC”.

Some DHB social workers were also paid up to $7000 less than mental health nurses who had the same experience, he said so “no wonder people are choosing to move to Australia”.

About 10,000 allied health workers cover by the PSA union are poised to strike on Monday over stalled pay negotiations with DHBs.