‘Keep hospital personal’

Press, 11 October 1979, Page 6

‘Keep hospital personal’

Development at Burwood Hospital must be planned to ensure that the complex does not become impersonal, North Canterbury Hospital Board members heard yesterday. Mr W. L. F. Utley, a board member, was discussing future development at a works committee meeting. The committee had been told that discussions on the issue would be held with the board’s architects. Mr Utley said the board had a "golden opportunity to avoid a large complex which becomes impersonal.” He suggested that no building be more than three storeys high. Separate disciplines within the hospital could be divided up as were the facilities at the University of Canterbury- which

would keep them small and J personal. |< “It’s starting to worry me that although we have plenty? of space at the moment we t might lose some of this fl ground gradually—for, say.' a motorway down one side,; I or power-lines down the! other. | ; “This could destroy any 1 1 possibility of creating that:* philosophy of personal care,? unless we start planning for? it.” he said. T The board heard that? sketch plans and cost estimates for the planned depart-? ment of physical medicine at? Burwood had been sent to the! j Health Department. I ( Mr Utley said, however.? that even if these were Im- f mediately approved it would}; still be almost five years be-it

fore the department was built and functional. It worried him that there were virtually no occupational therapy or physiotherapy facilities at a hospital which was developing as a rehabilitation centre. He suggested that space be allocated for these in the paraplegic hostel now being built. Although such space might have been designated for other purposes he did not think altering plans and contracts for the hostel was necessary. The committee agreed also that a helicopter landing area conforming to Civil Aviation Division standards be marked out in the grounds of Burwood Hospital. This would be for emergency use, and should be as close as possible to the hospital.