Pregnant women needing maternity care in the Marlborough area have been flown out of the region to give birth. The disruption was attributed to a shortage of senior doctors at the local hospital. An incumbent member of parliament said the problem was not a lack of funding. The more difficult issue has been attracting experienced doctors to work in Marlborough. As a result, patients have faced the prospect of travelling by plane for delivery care. The case turns the hospital’s recruitment difficulties into a matter of access to essential treatment. The MP’s account points to workforce shortages rather than a failure to finance the maternity service.