Health services future monitored

Ruapehu Bulletin, 13 August 1991, Page 4

Health services future monitored

Health watch committees are to meet with Ruapehu mayor Garrick Workman this week to start looking at possible futures for the area's health systems, following the recent Budget changes. Mr Workman said he had been briefed by Morris Sexton, former chairman of the Manawatu Wanganui Area Health Board and now health commissioner, and area manager John Boyack.

He said the government had indicated public input would be accepted before decisions on changes to health services were made. "We are going to set up presentations that we can make to health watch committees on the proposed system," said Mr Workman. He said later public meetings would be organised for further input, once they were better informed as to possible changes and in

a better position to make comment. The main thrust of the changes is that two parts of the health system are to be divorced from one another, said Mr Workman, with health services funding being separated from health services providers. This means the Health Department will in future contract health services from various sources. He said in the case of the Waimarino Health

Care Centre, if it can provide health services that the department wishes to use at an appropriate cost then it would remain. "While there is obvi-

ously some concern at the future of Waimarino Hospital I don't want to be overly pessimistic at this stage," said Mr Workman. "There are many options open to

the Waimarino to retain the service." He said the government had given some breathing space and that the future won't be

known until the Area Health Board's 1991-92 business plan is released at the end of August. The Area Health Boards remain in existence for another 12 months.