Conditions to closing of Essex

Press, 12 September 1980, Page 1

Conditions to closing of Essex

Parliamentary reporter The Minister of Health (Mr Gair) has conditionally, approved ' the closing -of Essex : Maternity Hospital. The conditions are that the North Canterbury Hospital Board increases the number of beds available at Christchurch Women’s Hospital to patients of private practitioners, and grants greater autonomy to private doctors to allocate beds among themselves. "Essex is a very old hospital and is now a bad earthquake and fire risk,” Mr Gair said. “It would simply be too expensive

to upgrade to required standards and to overcome several other features of the hospital that are not satisfactory medically.” Mr Gair said he had visited the hospital before he made his decision. If the board was unable to meet the conditions it would have to report back to him. The Hospital Board approached the Hospitals Advisory Council seeking to close Essex. The council visited the hospital and held “extensive discussions with interested local people” before it made its recommendation to Mr Gair.