Former WDHS chief executive Keith Marshall. PHOTO: ODT FILES
Waitaki residents who asked to have a say on "shaping" health services, under the Te Waka Hauora o Waitaki _ Waitaki Health Futures Project also heard from Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) there would be "no more money".
Only 3% of Waitaki's population of just over 25,000 participated.
Four health service priorities have now been identified: make it easier to navigate the health system; improve access to services such as first specialist appointments; increase local health workforce capacity and flexibility; enhance some services, such as how older people transition from hospital to at-home care.
It follows the negotiated transfer in July of the Oamaru Hospital from the local Waitaki District Health Services Ltd (WDHS) to HNZ.
The transfer negotiations were predicated on the survey being done.
HNZ community integration group manager Aroha Metcalf said it was about improving co-ordination and access to health and wellbeing services across the district.
It had wanted to know how people used existing services and what they liked and did not like about them, she said.
Former WDHS chief executive Keith Marshall in September told the Otago Daily Times it could also just be about "rearranging the deck chairs".
Mr Marshall said yesterday the fundamental underfunding issue had yet to be addressed.
To say at the outset of the survey there was no more money had been "a stupid position".
"Taken logically, there's no more money, so if there is currently an under-spend, it will remain an under-spend."
Mr Marshall said a "deliberate rationing choice" continued to perpetuate undesirable health outcomes for Waitaki.
The choice "not to fund" services was effectively "corporate waffle speak".
"Actually, a deliberate choice has been made to ration ... Let's be really honest what's happening when there is `no more money': the government has deliberately chosen not to fund the right amount for health services in the Waitaki district."
Ms Metcalf described the feedback to the survey as "significant".
There were nearly 2200 comments from 737 respondents, and a further 278 comments through six community sessions.
Improved access could result in Waitaki people being referred to Timaru Hospital rather than just Dunedin Hospital, she said.
A rollout of practical steps would now be staged, Ms Metcalf said.
"Implementation of immediate improvements that can be made are already under way as part of phase one of the project.
"Phase two will begin midway through next year and involves improving co-ordination and connectivity between health services."
A third phase would begin in early 2025 to develop a local health system where primary, community and hospital services operated together "in an integrated way," Ms Metcalf said.
Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher said he was encouraged HNZ was now working "alongside" local health organisations.
