Patient Voice Aotearoa is touring Otago and Canterbury this week to garner support for the Buller Declaration, which was launched in Westport on September 28.
The declaration grew out of public outcry in the northern West Coast town over leaked Health NZ plans to cull its after-hours medical and GP services — culminating in a 1000-strong march in the town of fewer than 5000.
It follows the town’s hospital replacement being intermittently closed since it was officially opened in May 2023.
Because of medical staffing difficulties, Westport residents have been told at times by Health NZ to resort to dialling 111 in a medical emergency.
The nearest other hospital is Te Nikau Greymouth Hospital, 100km away.
Buller Health Action Group spokesman Paul Scanlon said yesterday people across the regions could no longer be complacent at the incremental health cuts being sanctioned.
The declaration was about making a stand for equitable health service access.
Mr Scanlon said the crisis in his town was symptomatic and the declaration represented the health crisis in all regional communities.
"I’ve never really seen myself as a protester, but there is quite a bit of lethargy around the issue", he said.
Last weekend saw another West Coast protest in Reefton, where residents encircled their hospital after its formal closure by Health NZ in April.
The closure finally came after Reefton’s 12 aged-care patient beds were transferred as far away as Christchurch in March 2022 to enable a "temporary" closure during Covid.
Mr Scanlon said he personally worried about the welfare of older people in communities such as Reefton.
The Buller Health Action Group had kicked the issue "in the guts" a few weeks ago in reaction to the planned Westport cuts.
"It all started because it got leaked we were going to lose our after-hours and GP services — no consultation."
Mr Scanlon said while the declaration had Buller’s name appended to it, they hoped to mobilise "the rest of the country".
The declaration was signed by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network, and the New Zealand Royal College of General Practitioners.
Patient Voice Aotearoa spokesman Malcolm Mulholland will be joined by the Nurses Organisation and the Mayor of Dunedin for the signing at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery at 2.30pm.
It will also be available for Dunedin residents to sign.
Mr Mulholland said they wanted to build support across the South.
"The health system is in crisis — the government needs to ultimately fix it", he said.
The declaration will travel to Oamaru for Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher to sign it tomorrow morning at 10am in the Waitaki District Council chambers.
It would go to Timaru the same day and then on to Ashburton, Christchurch, and Marlborough this week.
Copies of the declaration will be left at various locations for the public to sign.
Further information is available at https://www.mylifematters.org.nz.
