Waitaki District Health Services is proposing to develop a new medical centre in Oamaru's Pipe Band Hall.
The company, wholly owned by the Waitaki District Council, owns and operates Oamaru Hospital and provides health services in the Waitaki district under contract to the Southern District Health Board.
Chairman George Berry said the proposal to develop a medical centre in the Pipe Band Hall was ''in the investigative stages''.
''The proposal is, really, to co-locate GPs in closer association with the hospital, if that appeals to any of the practices in town,'' Mr Berry said.
''There would be benefits, obviously, to patients as well as doctors being all on the one site.''
Mr Berry said there was a trend in other areas of the country towards developing ''integrated family health centres''.
''We're naturally looking to see whether we can do anything in that area in Oamaru.''
It would ''certainly not'' be in competition with existing health practitioners in Oamaru, he said.
''We would want to work in closely with any other health professionals, GPs, in any such move,'' he said.
''It's in the early stage of investigation at this stage, but we've taken the opportunity to acquire the Pipe Band Hall so we have premises that could accommodate such a move.''
The sale of the Pipe Band Hall is not settled yet, as leasing arrangements are being finalised with the Waitaki District Council, which owns the land.
Mr Berry expected the Waitaki District Health Services to take over by Christmas.
