A report on the region’s health services and strategic assets identifying options to address the lack of suitable publicly-funded health services and facilities available in Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago has been collated by various health providers and delivered to Minister of Health Simeon Brown for consideration.
The report is the product of a steering group headed by local mayors Glyn Lewers and Tamah Alley, MPs Joseph Mooney, Miles Anderson and Todd Stephenson, and involving Health New Zealand, both local territorial authorities, rural health providers and iwi, including Kaupapa Maōri health providers.
It recommends harnessing the growth of the private health sector to help address the growing pains of two of the country’s fastest-growing districts.
"The key driver behind this project is concern about the healthcare needs of our region as more and more people are living here," Mr Mooney said.
"Otago Central Lakes’ current peak day population of 168,000 residents and visitors is expected to almost double to 302,000 by 2054."
Waitaki MP Miles Anderson said the vast proportion of people were "hours away from the healthcare they need when the chips are down; these are no longer all remote rural areas we’re talking about. We need adequate local health services that don’t depend on where you live."
The report found that collaboration with the private health sector to invest in the planned infrastructure of the public health services, was one solution that could help provide adequate healthcare and benefit the whole region at a critical time.
The report garnered information from consultations, forums and feedback over the last 12 months. It includes the thoughts of 20 private health providers open to connecting with and contributing services and facilities to the broader health system, as well as over 20 health professionals concerned about the lack of co-ordinated resources and the need for a long-term strategic plan to meet ongoing demand and anticipated growth.
But the report also warned the window of opportunity to influence private-sector planning for healthcare in the Otago Central Lakes region is closing.
Act New Zealand MP Todd Stephenson emphasised the importance of continued discussions with Health Minister Simeon Brown and Health New Zealand to develop business cases for identified healthcare priorities by the end of the year. He stressed the need for a unified approach to quickly plan and deliver services to local communities.
Queenstown mayor Glyn Lewers said: “Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago would welcome access to adequate publicly-funded local healthcare. 70% of the people in New Zealand who live more than two hours from a base hospital live in Otago Central Lakes. That often means 2 to 4-hour road trips for appointments and non-urgent treatments, helicopter flights when things are urgent, and risk to life when those flights are delayed. As a community, we need a long-term solution - we’re simply growing so fast."
He called for a long-term solution to meet the growing healthcare needs of the rapidly expanding community.
Central Otago District Mayor Tamah Alley called for a balanced healthcare response and a unified approach to connect health facilities across the region. She emphasised the need to support existing healthcare services with new investments in medical care.
- APL
