A healthy change?

Press, 26 March 1981, Page 4

A healthy change?

confusing, and consistently misleading” was the description applied yesterday to the name of the North , Canterbury Hospital Board.

■ Mrs June Gardiner made these comments at a board meeting during a discussion oh a proposal by the board to'change its name to the Canterbury Hospital Board.

The board has asked the Health Department to approve the change.

4”bforth Canterbury is not an accurate description of. our area as we take in a far greater district than-, that north of the Waimakariri

River which is 'North Canterbury’,” Mrs Gardiner said.’, , v '

, The North Canterbury Hospital Board ,is the. only listing in the Christchurch telephone directory bearing the prefix, “North Canterbury”- which applies to an area including Christchurch and areas to the south.

The proposal to change the ’ name was first suggested in 1977. However, the board once before had. a change of name. In 1885 the, ..Hospital and Charitable 'Aid Board became the North-. Canterbury Hospital Board. In 1910 it became

the North Canterbury Hospital Board and Charitable Aid Board and in 1920 it adopted its present title. Professor D. W. Beaven said that many overseas applicants for hospital jobs assumed that the board did not cover the Christchurch metropolitan area. A previous attempt to change the name was criticised by the South Canterbury Hospital Board, but if a regional health authority is established to replace the North Canterbury board the name, “North,” will probably be excluded.