Health centre delays frustrate board

Press, 20 July 1977, Page 11

Health centre delays frustrate board

Government - financed health centres were labelled “pie in the sky” proposals at a committee meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital Board. Speaking at the institutions committee, Mr D. H. Lawrence said that a great deal of time had been spent discussing such centres proposed for the board’s area, but little had come of this, and the situation seemed to be mirrored in other parts of the country. Mr H. Deans deplored the time spent on the subject. “Until the Department of Health changes the regu-

lations (applying to the centres) there will be a lot of lip service and continued inaction. We know doctors are not prepared to pay, nor can they afford to pay the price to rent these. We seem to be getting nowhere and far too much time is being wasted,” Mr Deans said. Mr Deans’s and other members’ criticism was precipitated by long delays in implementing health centres for Kaiapoi, Rangiora and Lyttelton. At every meeting of The board this year concern has been expressed at the unsuitable renting proposals for the centres.