Costs force Calvary to close clinic

Press, 31 August 1985, Page 9

Costs force Calvary to close clinic

Christchurch’s only private psychiatric hospital. Calvary Clinic, will close at the end of the year because of financial problems. The decision to close was made this week after careful consideration said the sister in charge of the clinic, Sister Mary-Teresa, of the Little Company of Mary. “It will be a sad day for all of us,” said Sister MaryTeresa, who has worked at the Caledonian Road clinic for 15 years and run it for the last four years. Although prices had been adjusted over the years, it has become unrealistic to charge any more for the services provided, she said.

The clinic has 12 beds, as well as catering for 30 day patients and other counselling services.

She said the “growth work” counselling workshops with day patients could continue up until the last few weeks, as it was so valuable.

“We will try to rehabilitate as many people who are now coming in as we can.”

Sister Mary-Teresa said that the Mary Potter geriatric hospital, which is also run by the Little Company of Mary, and is on the same site, would not close, because of the growing need for facilities for the terminally ill.

She did not think it would be different for the nurses who worked at the clinic to get jobs, as their qualifications and training would be of value elsewhere in the community.

The three visiting psychiatrists would continue to see some the patients in their private practices, she

The clinic was established in Christchurch in 1962, and had established for itself a unique place in the psychiatric services in Christchurch, said Mr Murray Woodward, on behalf of the Nursing Sisters of the Little Company of Mary Trust Board.

Apart from Ashburn Hall in Dunedin it was the only private hospital for the care of psychiatric patients in New Zealand.

It was unlikely that the decision to close would be reversed unless substantial assistance were provided from “unexpected, quarters” between now and the end of the year.

The future of the clinic after it closed had not yet been decided.

The medical superintendent of Sunnyside Hospital, Dr Les Ding, said yesterday that he was saddened by the announcement. The closing of the clinic would reduce the alternatives available for psychiatric treatment in Christchurch.

“It is important that people have a range of choices,” he said.

It was unlikely that patients from Calvary Clinic would go to Sunnyside, but the closing of the clinic could put extra pressure on the psychiatric unit at Princess Margaret Hospital, he said. “Often people prefer not to go to a psychiatric hospital like Sunnyside but are happy to go to the unit at Princess Margaret Hospital because other services are provided there.” Any extra pressure on the acute beds at Sunnyside would not be welcomed, as they were at the limit now, he said.