Wellington Hospital's trialling cutting maternity and gynaecology beds, to ease ED pressure

Staff have been told maternity overflow space - will be re-purposed as 12 more Emergency Department places.

RNZ reports Health New Zealand says the same number of women will receive care, with unused maternity beds.

Midwives Union co-leader, Caroline Conroy, says the unit's beds are 117 percent in use - and it's not right to have medical patients on a maternity ward.