Wakatipu residents yesterday raised concerns about the cost to the community of the Southland District Health Board's (SDHB) proposed new model of health care.
The SDHB held two public meetings at the Queenstown Memorial Hall as part of its consultation on proposals to refurbish Lakes District Hospital and turn it into an integrated family health-care centre.
At the earlier meeting, Mick Burdon, of Arrowtown, asked how much it would cost to establish the new centre and if government funding was available.
"It's not going to be free.
"Contracted providers will want return for their money," he said.
Regional chief executive Brian Rousseau said it would cost about $9 million to build the facility.
"The fit-out will be the responsibility of the providers.
"Providers will be funded by the DHB for services.
"ED [emergency department] is always going to be a free public service," he said.
He said the Government had indicated the DHB should fund the new centre through its contracts with providers.
The contracts would include funding for capital costs, he said.
Another resident expressed concern that it could cost patients more to be treated.
She said primary care already cost 33% more in Queenstown than in Cromwell or Wanaka.
The board's consultation document said all patients would be assessed initially in a general practice.
If the patient did not need emergency care, they would be treated by the GP and charged a fee.
Queenstown resident Mike Lynch was worried about "self-interested" GPs favouring making patients pay over allowing access to free emergency care.
Mr Rousseau said it would be up to the new Primary Health Organisation to ensure that did not happen.
An accountable governance body made up of community and provider representatives would run the hospital.
All staff would be employed by the new facilities community-led governance body.
He said both Wakatipu Medical Centre and Queenstown Medical Centre were keen to come on board as providers in the new facility.
Regional deputy chief executive Lexie O'Shea said Lakes District Hospital was an ageing facility and no longer met the needs of the community.
She said the current model of care was neither clinically nor financially sustainable in providing care for a growing and ageing population, and too many Queenstown residents used the emergency department for primary care services.
The proposed integrated family health care centre would house a team of health-care providers including the multidisciplinary health team, GPs, X-ray, midwives, specialist nurses and a laboratory.
The hospital would be partially refurbished and 2200sq m added, in the form of an extra storey.
Submissions close at 5pm on April 23.
A summary of submissions will be presented to the board on May 13.
A copy of the consultation document is available at http://feedback.osdhbs.govt.nz/ Another public meeting is scheduled in Queenstown on March 27.
