A report released today by APEX highlights significant regional disparities in access to prenatal (pregnancy) ultrasound services across the country, ongoing sonographer workforce issues, and the case for full funding of public obstetric ultrasound services.

APEX is the specialist union for over 6,000 allied, scientific and technical employees, including over 350 sonographers employed by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and private radiology providers.

The new report Prenatal Ultrasound in Aotearoa: An Image of Inequalities reveals additional co-payments – exceeding $150 per scan in some cases – are deterring some pregnant women from accessing these vital scans, resulting in preventable adverse outcomes for both mothers and babies. Especially impacted by lack of access are those who cannot afford co-payments, overwhelmingly Māori, Pacific, and disabled women.

Best practice obstetric guidance recommends two routine ultrasounds: at the 12- and 20-week marks. These scans are critical for monitoring the health of mothers and babies, allowing early detection of abnormalities so that appropriate and timely care plans can be implemented.

Missed scans mean risks are dramatically increased, requiring emergency transfers, delayed medical interventions, and avoidable death in the most tragic cases.

Eligibility for funding for prenatal ultrasounds is a postcode lottery depending on where in New Zealand a pregnant woman resides:

Health New Zealand has previously estimated that fully funding maternity ultrasounds across all districts would cost $26.5 million annually; just $1.8 million over the spend on the current patchwork subsidy model. This modest investment would significantly improve health outcomes for mothers and babies across the country. It would also allow early diagnosis and timely intervention, reducing downstream costs and the overall financial burden on our public health system.

APEX’s report urges the government to act swiftly in implementing a nationally consistent, fully funded model of prenatal ultrasound care and supporting the expansion of the sonographer workforce.

“We already have six and a half districts providing fully funded ultrasounds, but it makes sense to fully fund ultrasounds across all of New Zealand,” said Dr Deborah Powell, APEX National Secretary.

“Our report highlights the challenges faced by New Zealand’s sonography workforce, including significant shortages and limited training opportunities. ​These issues create further bottlenecks in the patient pathway, delaying critical diagnosis and intervention. But the report also highlights a key opportunity; better supporting reporting sonographers through a recognised and safe advanced practice framework,” continued Dr Powell.

“A fully funded model is just one piece of the puzzle. To fully realise the benefits and ensure consistent access to ultrasound, Health New Zealand must also invest in filling sonographer vacancies, lifting training capacity, and supporting them into advanced practice,” concluded Dr Powell.

ENDS

Dr Deborah Powell
APEX National Secretary

Phone: 021 614 040

Email: ask@apex.org.nz

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Sonography, also known as diagnostic medical ultrasound, is a medical imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce 3-D images of internal body parts, to assist with diagnosis and treatment.

Sonographers are highly skilled frontline practitioners trained in the specific branch of ultrasound medical imaging, for obstetric (pregnancy) and other purposes.

Reporting Sonographer is accredited role where the sonographer is endorsed to work autonomously to authorise final clinical sonography reports. The Reporting Sonographer acts as the primary responsible practitioner for the examination and final report, although appropriate supervision is still available where necessary – for example, for complex clinical cases.