THE FUTURE OF GREYMOUTH COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES

Community Updates

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

West Coast District Health Board Chief Executive, David Meates, is urging Coasters to have their say on the future of health services for the Coast.

If you could change one thing about healthcare on the Coast - what would that one thing be?

Coasters are being asked to think about this as they look at the information that is being displayed at various locations on the West Coast. The information Expo was launched on December 1 and 2 at Tai Poutini Polytechnic.

There is no doubt that the health system on the West Coast is under pressure. For the last ten years there have been repeated efforts to make things better and bring to life a sustainable health system - this has had very mixed results. We want to provide a world class health service on the Coast and we can't do that without participation and collaboration from the community and health professionals.

Delivering the right services is the most important decision we have ahead of us to ensure we provide sustainable healthcare on the Coast.

At the Expo we will be outlining a vision for change and what that will mean for future health services. There will also be interactive displays, information panels and questions we want you to think about and comment on, or comment later through various feedback options.

There are significant day to day challenges for users of our health system. Patients often face delays and confusion about the location of services- even within the hospital critical services are fragmented. To add to the challenges, it is hard to attract and retain people who want to work in the West Coast health system. This has serious implications, the most obvious of which is a reliance on expensive locum GPs and hospital specialists in many places.

The Grey Base Hospital has numerous issues including leaks, insufficient earthquake strengthening and aging steam and electrical systems. In our small community, services could be provided in a much more integrated manner to reduce patient risk and increase accessibility.

In 2008 we investigated options to rebuild or reconfigure the existing hospital but these proved uneconomic. Earlier this year we outlined plans for a $38 million dollar rebuild. This concept addresses most of the concerns that were expressed in the 2008 consultation and is financially viable. This is the best chance we have had in the past decade to solve the problem of maintaining an aging and increasingly fragmented hospital. The plans are still at concept stage and we now need community input.

Alongside the re-development of Grey Base Hospital and the identification of the best services to provide is a desire to develop what we call an "integrated family health centre". This means delivering the right health services in the best and most integrated way. This will see general practice, pharmacy, community nursing, community allied health and community mental health services all well connected, easily accessible and working together in a co-ordinated fashion.

As a community you now have a real opportunity to make a difference to how your health services will be delivered. We need your input and hope that you can come and have your say at the Expo. If you can't make it you can visit www.westcoastdhb.org.nz for an overview of the information presented and to provide feedback.

Friday, 2 December 2011

Health Expo held at Tai Poutini Polytechnic

If you could change one thing about healthcare on the Coast, What would that one thing be?

The Health expo held at Tai Poutini Polytechnic on Thursday December 1 and Friday December 2, 2011 was an important ongoing step in engaging with the public over a proposed redevelopment of Grey Base Hospital and the setting up of a Greymouth Integrated Family Healthcare Centre.

The Expo will also be seen at other West Coast venues over the next few months, so all Coasters can view it and have their say.

If you missed the Expo you can click here to view the presentations.