New scan benefit sought

Press, 27 November 1980, Page 6

New scan benefit sought

A new health' benefit to cover the cost of ultrasound examinations for all patients will be sought by the-North Canterbury Hospital Board. The board decided yesterday that the solution to the impasse over the payment for pregnant women having ultrasound examinations was to have a new benefit.

Two weeks ago the Health Department stopped payments foi* private ultrasound scans • for women in Christchurch. It also told the academic department of Christchurch Women’s Hospital that it could no longer

give these scans as part of the maternity benefit because the original permission to do so had been a departmental "misinterpretation."

New ultrasound equipment will be installed at Christchurch Hospital next year. The board decided that until this was available it

should consider asking the department to cover the cost of ultrasound scans until a specific benefit was paid for them.

Mr- T. M. MCGuigan said that the department had given a “totally incorrect”j

impression to the public by saying that the use of the ultrasound research equipment for patient testing at Christchurch Women’s Hos« pital was being investigated.

The board agreed that work done at the hospital had been very valuable and staff there were pioneers in the field. ;*

“The department made the original decision to pay for tnese scans and now it has decided to withdraw the benefit. I don't think it

should be allowed to get away with this,” Mr McGuigan said.