Nurses hostel will be sold

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 416, 10 December 1991, Page 1

Nurses hostel will be sold

The Waimarino Nurses' hostel will be sold, the Wanganui Manawatu Area Health Board corrimissioner Maurice Sexton has announced. Mayor Garrick Workman said the only way the sale could now be stopped, if the community decided the building should be retained, is to appeal to the Minister of Health, seeking his intervention. "Of paramount importance is the future of health services in the Waimarino," said Mr Workman. "People of this community may be better off to concentrate on looking at the future of health services." Mr Workman said he now had to concur with Mr Sexton's view that a community trust was not a viable option for this area and that a better option may be for the health centre to become part of a chain of a crown health enterprise. This way links with other health services would be retained. The following is a press release from Mr Sexton on the sale of the nurses' hostel and future health care: Turnpage 2

Nurses' hostel to be sold

From page 1 "I have met with Mayor Garrick Workman to discuss the proposed sale of the Nurses Home property associated with Waimarino Hospital and understand the concerns of the people of the District for the continuation of the Health services.

"Firstly, I should make it clear that the services of the Hospital, and the domiciliary services based there will not be under any threat so long as the Area Health Board is in place. The old nurses' home building and land do not play any part in those services.

"It is important to the board that we free up un-der-used capital assets so that funding can be found for other capital investments, and as commissioner I am required to dispose of all such assets as soon as possible. It is clear that the cost of upgrading the home to meet

modern standards for health use would be much greater than could be justified, and this applies equally to the board or to a possible community trust. "I have fully explained the board's position to Mayor Workman, and also given such information as I have regarding the proposed health administration changes. I believe that the establishment of a community trust to run the Waimarino Hospital would result in considerable curtailment of the services available to the district since contracts would need to be renegotiated with outside organisations and the re-

sultant costs would limit what could be bought for local services. I recommend that the District work towards retaining its link with existing services and the access it already has. "I repeat that the board has no plans to reduce services of Waimarino Hospital and invite the community to support the board in continuing its Board wide services. "The Board has received an offer for the Nurses Home property which is acceptable, and it is my intention to proceed to complete this sale as soon as the necessary formalities have been carried out."