Overwhelming economic evidence shows the best location for a diagnostic CT scanner for Central Otago is Queenstown, a resort developer says.
Remarkables Park Ltd co-director Alastair Porter called on Queenstown Lakes district residents to "take notice and get involved"in the Southern District Health Board (DHB) deliberations about the placement of a scanner.
Mr Porter, also chairman of the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement this week the Wakatipu community could "lose out" in the face of more vocal lobbying from residents in the Dunstan Hospital catchment area.
Mr Porter said he had overwhelming economic evidence to show that the scanner should be sited in Frankton rather than Dunstan, courtesy of a draft report commissioned by his company when it looked at options for private healthcare in the resort.
"Where the scanner should be located is easily identified, in terms of resource efficiency and by economic analysis that quantifies the average travel distance by users of the scanner who live within the total catchment population," he said.
Mr Porter said the Advanced Radiology Report, prepared by Market Economics Ltd, of Auckland, showed if the scanner had been located in Dunstan in 2009, the "average travel distance" for a user would be 59km, versus 36km if located in Frankton.
Mr Porter said taking population growth into account, the average travel distance to Frankton in 2031 would be 32km, as opposed to 63km to Dunstan. In the future, this would result in about double the travel, on average, if the scanner was located in Dunstan as opposed to Frankton, making it a significantly more expensive location for the whole community.
"The eventual placement of the CT scanner will also be hugely influential when it comes to deciding where investment in hospital facilities for this region is located in the future," he said.
"Given the larger population in Queenstown, its rapid population growth and the reasonable expectation of visitors to Queenstown, it does not make sense to suggest either the CT scanner, or future hospital facilities for this region, should be anywhere other than Frankton."
Mr Porter said looking at the issue purely on resource management terms, which was the appropriate framework on which to base the decision, the DHB should step in and support the Frankton location.
He said he had recently raised his concerns with both the chamber board and the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
Mr Porter's comments followed those of Dr Hans Raetz, of the Queenstown Medical Centre, who said in October he was "utterly convinced" the Lakes District Hospital was the only site where a scanner should be based to serve Central Otago because it was closer to ski areas and the bases of moneyed international snow sports teams, which would also use the scanner and help make the facility sustainable.
The DHB will consider a recommendation on the location of a CT scanner in June after input from the Wakatipu Health reference panel, Queenstown's fledgling health watchdog chaired by Queenstown Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden, and Central Otago Health Services Ltd, which operates Dunstan Hospital, as well as from wider consultation with primary and secondary clinicians.
