Proposal for Templeton costed at $3M

Press, 20 October 1987, Page 2

Proposal for Templeton costed at $3M

Moving 20 per cent of the residents at Templeton Hospital into the community would cost more than $3 million, the Canterbury Hospital Board’s works committee was told yesterday. The board’s planning officer, Mr Ray Cansdale, presented a report to the committee on the likely capital costs of moving 20 and 40 per cent respectively of tiie most appropriate patients into the community during the next few years. The costs presented were for houses in the community plus an extra 10 per cent for furnishing. Staffing and other ongoing costs were not included. Templeton Hospital has 582 residents and so costs had been calculated on 116 people (20 per cent) and 232 people (40 per cent), said Mr Cansdale. “The types of accommodation available , in the four-bedroom to five-bed-room range in the areas of the city appropriate for these patients, close to all amenities and public transport, tend to be

mainly older-style residences.” Local real estate agents estimated that such houses were likely to cost between $lOO,OOO and $120,000, he said. On that basis, 29 fourbed homes (116 beds) plus 10 per cent for equipping would cost $3.19 million and 58 four-bed homes (232 beds) plus 10 per cent would cost $6.38 million, said Mr Cansdale. If 23 five-bed homes (116 beds) were purchased and 10 per cent were allowed for equipping, the cost would' be $3,036 million or $6,072 million if 46 five-bed homes (232 beds) were purchased, he said. A board member, Mr David Close, said that it was not the capital costs that were frightening but the ongoing maintenance and staffing costs. The committee decided to refer Mr Cansdale’s report to the health services and finance committees as information on what the costs of the move into the community were likely to be.