Commissioner Update July 2018

This month we have been pleased to share more positive news for our redevelopments – this time in Queenstown. We have now received resource consent for the development of a new Emergency Department and other improvements that are long overdue for our community and our staff. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in the design process to this point. The resource consent clears the way for the next steps in the project, and we look forward to continuing to update you as this progresses.

I mentioned this in last month’s update, but it bears repeating. Winter is well upon us, and I do want to stress the importance of the message: ‘Plan to be well this winter’. There will unfortunately always be occasions when we can become suddenly unwell. This makes it even more important that we do what we can to reduce the likelihood of this occurring, and taking the steps we can to support our own health and the health of those around us.

Please do what you can to keep your home warm and dry; stop germs spreading by staying home if you’re sick, and washing your hands whether you are ill or not. If you are feeling unwell, please get advice early before it becomes an emergency. We all need to look after each other, so please check in on your families, friends and neighbours.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone for their understanding during the NZNO strike this month. Our hospitals coped well as a result of the planning that went into preparing for the event, the support of the NZNO in enabling us to meet safe minimum staffing levels and the efforts of all our staff and health care partners to ensure patient safety was a priority. Everyone’s collaborative effort was truly appreciated.