Health proposal approval

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 306, 26 September 1989, Page 1

Health proposal approval

The number of beds at Waimarino Hospital look set to be cut from 19 to 9, but the Wanganui Area Health Board propose to increase other services and introduce new ones.

The proposal to set up a rural health centre at the hospital was quietly accepted by the majority of people at a meeting at Raetihi School last week. About 30-40 people attended ihe advertised meeting. Margot Mains, Manager Community Health Services, explained the proposal to the meeting. Later, she said the proposal would go to the board on 12 October for consideration and, if accepted, implementation would start immediately. She said it would take several months to take effect.

Implications of the proposal would be an increase in community support, an increase in public health nurse time (from 40 hours to 60),

an increase in district nurses to cover seven days a week, doubling the physiotherapy hours, doubling home help hours, the appointment of a community midwife, the appointment of a social worker and a Maori community health worker. Turnpage 2

I Health proposal

From page 1 The meals on wheels service, the ambulance service and the X ray radiography service would remain the same. While the average occupancy rate of beds at the hospital is 11.9 Margot Mains said the Waimarino hospital admissions rate is the highest for all age groups among WAHB hospitals and that there appeared to be an association between admissions and the availability of beds. She said one of the aims of the WAHB in setting up a rural health centre was to see people cared for in their own homes where possible. The proposal would see a cost reduction of about 16 per cent for the board, from $905,785 to $759,666. Mrs Mains said a reduction in costs was not the only rational for the proposal but that it followed the aims of the strategic plan put together in 1987. "We acknowledge there has been less community support here which would lead to more admissions," said Mrs Mains. "I believe we will provide a wider service to the community with this proposal - the money will go to where it is needed," she said. Raetihi's Reverend Bob Peck put a motion to the meeting to ask the board to put aside the proposal till next year, well after- the impending health board amalgamation. He asked if the board had looked at the high admission rate in the light of the Waimarino's special

problems such as high risk employment and activities (forestry, farming, market gardening, skiing etc) and if they had considered the region's isolation. A large majority of people at the meeting voted against the motion, giving tacit approval to the proposal. Mrs Mains said the reason the proposal included some beds was because of the isolation factor. Board general manager Rob England said the risks in waiting were far greater than in not waiting. "If it's there in place it's damn difficult to shift, particularly in the early months," he said. Some people at the meeting agreed that if the Waimarino's health services were run cost effective there was less likelihood of it being a target for budget-slash-ing from Palmerston North later. "How can we keep fighting for 19 beds when only 11 are occupied," said Mrs Mains. Some at the meeting said they could live with the reduction in the number of beds, but asked if they could be stored away so if needed they could be retrieved, but Mrs Mains said the board has found in these circumstances the beds are quickly brought

back into service and the community health services such as the district health nurse is not used. She said the beds would not, however, be removed until the services had been implemented. The board representatives said to alter the number of beds in the proposal one would need to state why they should remain, though they said if a demand for beds remained or increased at a later date they would have to review the decision. The representatives were asked what the reaction of the two local general practitioners had been. Rob England said they had not yet expressed an opinion but that "neither had threatened to leave town". Doctor Jim Corbett later said he preferred the status quo. He said he was glad to see the hospital was to stay but sad that changes were to be made. He said the Waimarino was fortunate to hold onto something but, as far as the new services went, he wondered if the board was giving something that the Waimarino didn't really need. He said he was also concerned the proposal could be a stepping stone to complete closure.