Hospital Closure Order Stayed

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31341, 11 April 1967, Page 18

Hospital Closure Order Stayed

An attempt would be made to keep the Lyttelton Hospital open until a final decision on its future was made at the next full meeting of the board on April 26, said the chairman of the North Canterbury Hospital Board (Dr. L. C. L. Averill) yesterday.

He said late yesterday, after a deputation from Lyttelton had met the board, that the institutions committee would have another special meeting next week to consider the matter before the whole board met on April 26. In the meantime, doctors would be notified that an attempt would be made to keep the hospital open until a final decision was reached. The board’s secretary (Mr J. G. Laurenson) said that after discussions with the Lyttelton deputation it had seemed that there was no course other than to close the hospital, as advertised, on April 10. However, after much consideration and hard work rearranging staff, it had been found possible to keep the hospital open until the end of the month, when the board would finally decide the matter. The Mayor of Lyttelton (Mr J. B. Collett) said yesterday that the deputation had received a good reception from the board, but had left with a feeling of apprehension about the future of the hospital. “Most Encuoraging” However, he had later been notified by the secretary of the latest decision. “We feel this is most encouraging and that the decision to keep the hospital open in the meantime will be of great value,” Mr Collett added. “We trust the board will see fit to decide to carry on keeping it open.” The Leader of the Opposition. (Mr Kirk) said last evening that the decision would relieve the minds of those

patients now in the hospital, or due to go in, of anxiety caused by uncertainty. “For this we are grateful,” he said. “In view of the very considerable support for the petition and the very good case made by the Lyttelton Borough Council and the young mothers and mothers-to-be, I can only hope most fervently that April 26 will see a very favourable decision arrived at by the board on the request by the deputation and the petitioners.”

The deputation comprised Mr Collett, Mr Kirk, Dr. N. D. Walker, Mr J. Moffat, Mr W. S. Tredinnick and Mrs A. R. Huxford. Dr. Averill said there had been an interesting exchange of views, and all the points raised had been discussed. He had put the board’s point of view in reaching its decision, and the medical superintend-ent-in-chief (Dr. L. M. Berry) and matron-in-chief (Miss D. R. Newman) had also spoken.