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Ashburton FIRST PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 27, 1879
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Thursday, July 11, 2013
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Family health centre plan for hospital By Sue Newman Primary health care in Ashburton could become a one-stop shop with plans in the pipeline to develop a family health centre in the grounds of Ashburton Hospital. The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) has released a proposal that would see surplus hospital land and possibly buildings, leased to a private developer who would then build an integrated family health centre. The centre would used by several general practitioners as well as a range of support health services. Building the centre in the hospital grounds create opportunities to further enhance integration between general practice and hospital based services. The need for change in the way primary health care is delivered in Ashburton is being driven by several factors including an ageing population, ageing work force and the difficulty in attracting new GPs into the district. Ashburton mayor Angus McKay has applauded the proposal saying it was the ultimate option for primary health care in the district into the future. “This is necessary for this district to attract new GPs and to allow current GPs if they wish to reduce their working hours. The concept is brilliant.” Mr McKay believes the hospital site is the only sensible location for the centre. “It’s a good option for Ashburton.
Angus McKay It makes it attractive for other health professionals to be part of the centre and it makes it attractive for visiting specialists too.” The CDHB wants public feedback on the plan, both through on-line questionnaires and at two public meetings to be held on July 24. Those meetings, Mr McKay said, were the public’s opportunity to hear about the proposal first-hand and to ask questions. “I encourage everyone to look at the options that are best for this community. I encourage people to read the documents and to come to these meetings.” CDHB general manager planning and funding, Carolyn Gullery said the mix and type of services would be those the community wanted and needed. That would be determined through the consultation process. General practice and pharmacy will be the centre’s
core business with other services added as the community required. The CDHB plan is the second health centre proposal to be floated in Ashburton this year. In March general practice development company Better Health signalled it had plans to work with local developers to build a two-storey centre on the corner of Queens Drive and West Street. While the concept had initially received strong support from GPs, the project has now been put on hold, Better Health chief executive David Jones said it was because plans to work with local GPs had not come to fruition. “With anything we do, we don’t want to operate any way but collaboratively,” he said. With the CDHB intending the health centre would be built by an independent developer. Mr Jones did not rule out some involvement for his company in this project. “We are always open to any suggestion that might improve the general practice services anywhere,” he said. Information on the Family Health Centre proposal is available at www.cdhb.health.nz. And in printed form at the Ashburton Public Library and at Ashburton Hospital reception. Comments can also be emailed to feedback@cdhb. health.nz Submissions close at 5pm on August 16. Two public meetings will be held in Ashburton at the Ashburton Trust Event Centre on July 24, at 12.30pm to 2pm and 5.45pm to 7.15pm.
WHAT’S PROPOSED An Integrated Family Health Centre (IFHC), based on unused land and possibly using unused facilities at Ashburton Hospital. What is an Integrated Family Health Centre? It is a facility where several general practitioners and teams of health and social services providers work together to provide health services for their enrolled patients.
Family Health Centre? An IFHC is based around general practice and pharmacy services but it can include a wide range of other service providers.
new ways of working. It would also allow easy access to the services people use most often. Who will pay for the facility? The developer will be a private, non-CDHB entity who may or may not be associated with the service providers involved. The land will remain in CDHB ownership but will be leased to the developer who will own the building.
What are the advantages of an Integrated Family Health Centre? Improved patient care and service delivery through multidisciplinary teams and a range of onsite services; convenience for patients with more Why an Integrated Family services co-located, econoHealth Centre on Ashburton mies from bulk purchasing and What if the hospital runs out of Hospital land? shared human resources and land for future development? If an alternative site was shared overheads; a patientWith a rebuild master plan used, the facility would not oriented, purpose built facility. for Ashburton Hospital already have the same transport and under way, the CDHB believes co-location advantages as the How would this work in there is more than enough land hospital site. Ashburton? available for the new centre The new facility will help and any future development at What is included in an Integrated attract new staff and support the hospital.
photo kirsty clay 090713-KC-089
It’s round two at the salon for Ashburton College student Brooke Clarke, who is starting her preparations early this week for the Ashburton College Ball.
It’s the College ball again - take 2 By Gabrielle Stuart They’re calling it Ball 2.0 – and it’s déjà vu for many college girls this week as nails are done, limbs tanned and salons around the district pack their appointment books full once again. It wasn’t only excited students who had their plans disrupted when heavy snowfalls meant the Ashburton College Ball was postponed three weeks ago, as suits had been hired, flowers ordered and salons were left deserted, while some partners had to cancel plans to travel for the ball from as far as Australia. But with a lot of appointment
shuffling, plenty of hard work from the ball committee and a lot of understanding from local businesses, preparations are all go for the biggest night of the year for many Ashburton College students tomorrow. With nothing more ominous than light cloud forecast for the new date, head of the college ball committee Abbey Marshall said the switch to this weekend had been an incredibly smooth one. “The hotel has been great, and the photographers, florist, and musicians could all work with our new date, which was amazing. In some ways it has worked out well, because last time everyone was so concerned about the weather that
we didn’t really get the chance to get excited about it! This time around everything is ready, everyone is excited and it has been the cruisiest lead up to a ball ever.” She said that postponing the ball wasn’t a popular decision with students at the time, but safety had to come first. “They were all absolutely gutted. Once they woke up the next morning, though, and saw how much snow and ice was around they were a lot more understanding. People couldn’t even get in to town, and if someone had been killed driving home it wouldn’t have been worth it.” Ball committee member Amy Blair said everything was organ-
ised and ready for the ball to begin tomorrow. “It’s been a lot less stressful. At this stage last time around we were all panicking and rushing around, but now we have it all done and under control.” Ashburton College student Brooke Clarke had just returned from a spray tan when she heard the news of the initial postponement, and said that she wasn’t the only one who was midway through the rounds of appointments and preparations. “It went nuts at school when everyone heard, but in the end it just meant there were a lot of girls who were pretty brown for the rest of the week!”
Plea to reverse disabled bus contract By Myles Hume Ashburton College is asking the Ministry of Education to reverse the contract it gave to a bus company to transport disabled pupils to school. Board of trustees chairman David Rush told the Guardian the board had written to the ministry on behalf of several concerned parents, asking them to reconsider the contract it handed to Ritchies Bus and Coach to take disabled pupils to college and Hampstead School this year. There had been a raft of improvements made to the sole Ritchies bus, but Mr Rush said there were still concerns over pupil safety and welfare. “We wrote to the ministry and
requested they reconsider the contract and hopefully it will be reversed,” Mr Rush said. Ashburton Taxis held the contract for several years before the ministry signed it over to Ritchies this year. The taxi service provided door-todoor service and had a fleet of minivans on the road. “The taxi service seems the best option, we are basically supporting the concerns of parents. The taxi service has more practicality and is safer,” he said. “No matter how hard we work it (Ritchies) was still the wrong vehicle for the job . . . our number one concern is the safety of our students.” A source told the Guardian the Ritchies bus broke down last week and Ashburton Taxis “had to come to the rescue” to help take
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wheelchair-bound pupils to school because Ritchies could not provide the appropriate service. Concerns were raised over the Ritchies bus earlier this year when parents of the disabled pupils who caught the bus were unhappy with the wheelchair restraints, pick up and drop off times, the long periods of time some children sat on the bus and the distance they had to cover to get to class when they arrived at school. Ashburton College deputy principal Grant Congdon worked tirelessly with Ritchies and parents to address these issues which were finally dealt with by the end of May. However, parents continued their calls for Ashburton Taxis to be reinstated. Mr Rush said there were still out-
standing problems including heating, a lack of seatbelts, the slippery vinyl floor, one driver caring for several high needs pupils and the risks that came with reversing the bus on to the college campus. Mr Rush said the ministry never consulted parents or the college before signing the contract over to Ritchies. Parent Faye Blackburn pulled her son James off the bus earlier this year after his schooling hours were reduced but she had concerns for his safety when using a walking frame on the bus and the cold conditions threatened his health. “The taxis were great and everyone knows the drivers, I would put him back on the taxi because they actually come right up our driveway.”
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