Health status quo ‘impossible’

Press, 22 August 1989, Page 1

Health status quo ‘impossible’

By

DEBORAH McPHERSON

Canterbury people seemed to want all health services to remain as they were even though that was not possible, said the Canterbury Area Health Board’s general manager, Mr Ron Parker, yesterday. More than 1100 people had made submissions, and most were opposed to hospitals being closed or services lost.

“The major theme was that people wanted the status quo, but the fact is the need to save $3O

million transcends all the options,” said Mr Parker. The board faces tough decisions this morning on how it will reduce spending by next June. The meeting is the first of several to decide on options relating to hospital closings and alcohol services.

Mr Parker said the board had already overspent by $1 million in its first month as a new area health board.

Closing Queen Mary Hospital at Hanmer Springs, Christchurch

Women’s Hospital, Coronation and Jubilee, as well as several country hospitals are some of the options facing the board.

If the board decided to close Queen Mary it would probably again request permission from the Health Department to charge other boards for what had become a national service, said Mr Parker.

The board had applied to the Health Department in December, 1988, for authority to charge other boards, but had been refused permission, he said.