Preliminary recommendations from the joint review of health services in the Waitaki district will be revealed at meetings in Oamaru next week.
The clinically led Southern District Health Board (SDHB) and Waitaki District Health Services (WDHS) review of services was announced in March just as WDHS announced a 20% bed cut at Oamaru Hospital. SDHB planning and funding senior manager Liz Disney said common themes, identified after six ‘‘patient journeys'' were considered in early June, formed the basis for the recommendations to be discussed at four meetings with health groups, stakeholders and the general public over the course of the day on June 28 in Oamaru.
‘‘Just because we would prefer to talk with the community first, directly, we have made a decision to hold on to that information until next Tuesday,'' Ms Disney said yesterday. ‘‘We just want to take the opportunity to communicate with the community directly, face-to-face.
‘‘There are no major surprises, or major secrets about it.''
After negotiations with SDHB service providers began over a year ago - with a proposed 5% funding cut as a starting point - WDHS was the only rural trust in the region that resisted a new agreement. This autumn, hospital management warned bed cuts, from 30 to 24, were a ‘‘starting point'' in the face of ongoing underfunding and a projected 10% cut in funding from the district health board when contract negotiations resumed for the 2017-18 financial year.
According to SDHB communication updates, the themes identified through the review include: a need for community prevention programmes; a need for a streamlined first response system; support services to avoid readmission; services delivered closer to home, including more specialist service access in Waitaki and use of telehealth; and a team approach for providers.
Ms Disney said the workforce would be discussed on Tuesday.
‘‘The whole of New Zealand is having to think about ‘what does the health workforce look like and how might that change?' and it's really just thinking about that on a local level. Like, what are the opportunities for workforce development that could deliver enhanced services for the community?''
Carol Atmore, who has been contracted by the SDHB to lead the review, said the review was focused on providing ‘‘patient-centred'' services.
‘‘I think that any hospital service doesn't sit in isolation from its community and so if you're going to look at how you do things in one part of the health system, you really need to look at the whole system to work out how it integrates into other parts of the health system,'' she said.
‘‘That's your sensible starting point.
‘‘People are pragmatic, people want services close to the home when they can be and that is the focus we are taking with this.''
WDHS chairman George Berry said a study with the South Canterbury District Health Board was ongoing.
It required a ‘‘detailed analysis of patient flows, particular treatments, and a look at all factors that might influence a community in a decision to apply for a boundary change or to stay with the SDHB''.
He said a consultation process would follow when that study was complete.
‘‘But it's going to be quite a while yet ... What we're looking for in that study is an outcome that will work for everyone, both the SDHB and Waitaki community and also, of course, South Canterbury,'' Mr Berry said.
‘‘My view of it, for what it's worth, is it's a wonderful community opportunity for the district health boards and the community to see what will work best for Waitaki district in the future.''
Approached for comment, WDHS chief executive Robert Gonzales referred questions to Dr Atmore.
