Women's hospital to be rebuilt

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33003, 24 August 1972, Page 15

Women's hospital to be rebuilt

Obstetrical and gynaecological facilities will be resited on the Christchurch Hospital site instead of the Christchurch Women’s Hospital being developed. This was decided at a meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital Board yesterday.

The works committee reported that the approval of the Department of Health had been received to begin planning to site the obstetrical and gynaecological facilities on the Christchurch Hospital site. The approval included the provision of a new kitchen and additional boiler capacity. The chairman of the works

committee (Mr L. A. Bennett) said the whole object of the change was to provide an increased number of beds and to provide teaching facilities when the clinical school started, as it was an important aspect of a student’s work.

Mr Bennett said a survey showed that the Christchurch Women’s Hospital was not going to be satisfactory and alterations would cost a great deal of money. Another survey was made and to the surprise of everybody the costs of building on the Christchurch Hospital site and rebuilding the present Women’s Hospital were just about equal. * The change in plans simply meant that, instead of the obstetrical and gynaecological department being built as stage HI of the hospital redevelopment programme, it would be moved to stage 11. It was hoped therefore that the new wards would be ready by 1979. Change In use This left the question of the present Christchurch Women’s Hospital, which some would think would become a wasted asset, said Mr Bennett. However, this was not so. It would be used instead of the Jubilee Home for nurses’ accommodation, and as a central sterile supply department.

The medical superintendent-in-chief (Dr L. McH. Berry) said the idea was revolutionary, but it was being done mainly to provide women with al! the specialist facilities which at the moment they were divorced from. Specialists were available, but it was different from having them on the spot. It was very much in the interest of women to have their hospital on the Christchurch Hospital site. The Jubilee Home and Essex Hospital,, both unsatisfactory buildings, could be closed, said Dr Berry. The chairman (Dr L. C. L. Averill) said that the Jubilee Home was built as a monument to the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 and was extended on the occasion of her diamond jubilee. The area was now zoned heavy industrial.