‘Error’ in letter on closing of Essex

Press, 18 June 1980, Page 6

‘Error’ in letter on closing of Essex

The Medical Superinten-] dent-in-Chief for the North Canterbury Hospital Board (Dr R. A. Fairgray) has told all Christchurch general practitioners that there was a “technical error” in a decision relayed to them earlier this year about the closing of Essex Maternity Hospital on June 30. In a letter sent to more than 80 doctors, Dr Fairgray said a previous letter from the medical superintendent of Christchurch Women’s Hospital (Mr H. McCrostie) saying that Essex Hospital would close on June 30 contained the “technical error.”

“In accordance with the Hospital’s Act the Hospital Board cannot close .an?-in-stitution permanently without the consent of th? Minister of Health the advice of the Hpspitals Advisory Council. The letter from Mr McCrostie./should have said that the? board agreed to close Essex temporarily for three months. The question of permanent closing is being considered.” Dr Fairgray said that the question of permanent closing was being considered by the Minister of Health, (Mr Gair) but no decision had been made. “The board has no thought of pre-empting the Minister’s decision,” Dr Fairgray said- . . The board had decided to seek the closing of Essex Hospital in October, 1979, but because of “unforeseen circumstances” the Hospitals Advisory Council had not been able to consider the 1 matter until June 12 when it •met in Wellington.

The council has told the:! board that it considered the j; proposal to close Essex Hospital permanently at its June ’ 12 meeting. P A committee will visit <1 Christchurch on July 7 and i 8 to look at the case and to i receive submissions about I the proposed closing from': the public and the board. It i will inspect Essex Hospital ] as well as the alternative, ac- 1 commodation proposed at ' Christchurch Women’s and Burwood. i

The council’s investigating committee will be chaired by Dr F. W. Rutter, of Auckland, who is also chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board and .the New Zealand Hospital Boards’ Association. The committee’s, other members are Dr G. R. Boyd, deputy director of the Clinical Services Division of the Health Department, and Mrs Barbara Pohl, executive' officer .of the department's Hospitals Division. ■ A committee representing 1 Christchurch general practitioners who practise ob-j stetrics, said this week that it was “unhappy with the] closing of Essex Hospital while restricted access to | Christchurch Women’s Hos-, pita! was in force.” The committee will soon release the results of a survey taken to gauge doctors’] opinion about open access to Christchurch Women’s Hos-| pital. The Hospital Board yester-| day gave an assurance that] facilities at Essex Hospital would be appropriately up-1 graded “within an acceptable period” should the Minister, decide not to close the hospital. The board would make plans to re-open the hospital: should the Minister-, rule out a . permanent closing after June 30.

No Heathcote action

The closing of Essex Hospital caused a split among members of Heathcote County Council’s town-plan-ning committee yesterday. ’ Cr B. K. Roberts urged

further action by the council aimed at delaying the June 30 closing. She said once it was closed, even for three months, the hospital would be almost impossible to reopen because of staff having moved away. | It was part of a wider * scheme to centralise maternity services, provided by the North Canterbury Hospital Board at the Christchurch Women’s Hospital, she said. After a meeting between council and Hospital Board

representatives on June 3, Cr Roberts had written to the board’s chairman (Mr T. C. Grigg) to say she was still “not convinced ‘about the situation.” Mr Grigg had indicated he would put her views to the Hospitals’ Advisory Council when it came to Christchurch early next month. Cr Roberts pointed out that this /would be after the closing .date. She moved that the com'mittee write to the Minister

•of Health (Mr Gair) asking ] for the closing to be delayed until, he had. received the 'advisory council’s recommendations. I Other committee members , felt the County Council, had •done enough and the issue had been well discussed. At I one point, after Cr Roberts ] had spoken for more than 15 minutes, Cr J. Richardson [remarked: “I look forward to Cr Roberts joining the Hos-

Ipital Board.” ;i He felt that the hospital’s I I closing should be left to the; I board, “and women’s organ- ! isations to take up.” The committee voted • against Cr Roberts’ motion l and also decided not to take liup the offer of a board : member, Professor D. W. • Beaven, to meet the council for further discussions. Professor Beaven, a board representative of Heathcote County, had written to the council at length, including information from Hospital Board executives about specific points concerning Essex J Hospital and its closing.