Hospital site chosen for Integrated Health Centre
The community hospital site has been chosen for Golden Bay’s proposed integrated health facility – and a major public meeting is planned to unveil the details on Monday 26 April.
The decision has been made unanimously by the Integrated Management Group (IMG). The business plan has been approved in principle but needs final signoff from the boards of the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board (DHB), the Joan Whiting Memorial Trust and Golden Bay Medical Centre Community Trust.
A centre to house the hospital, medical centre and rest home will be:
· built as an extension to the existing community hospital.
· run by the publicly funded Nelson Bays Primary Health employing the doctors, nurses and other staff.
· owned by a charitable community trust.
IMG chair John Peters (also chief executive of the DHB) said the decisions were the result of a huge amount of thinking, number crunching, planning, talking and questioning “to make sure we have the best publicly funded public health service possible for Golden Bay’s future.”
“I know some people think we’ve taken too long, but it is far too important to decide without careful thought. Getting the people who provide health services to work together is vital to keep a rest home and doctors here.”
“Building at the hospital is the cheapest option by $1.25 to $2.9 million. It makes sense to add to the hospital, rather than starting again and it’s also quicker and easier to get resource consents, roading changes and so on.”
“While we can see long-term benefits in a new building in Park Avenue behind the show grounds, there are too many things we can’t tie down. The Rototai Road site is just too expensive.”
Full details will be presented to the public meeting, run by an independent chair, so people can see the figures and find out in detail how the facility will operate.
Money for the building will come from the three organisations, a mortgage paid by government-funded income, plus grants and donations from national funding bodies.
“We also know some local people want to invest or donate money or skills or services and these will be received with gratitude,” John Peters said.
The interim management group is made up of representatives from the Joan Whiting memorial trust, the Golden Bay Medical Centre and the Golden Bay Medical Centre Trust, the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board, Manawhenua ki Mohua, Golden Bay Community Board and Tasman District Council.
Background information is available at www.gbhealth.org.nz.
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