Wakatipu residents are worried about the cost of the Southland District Health Board's major revamp of Wakatipu health services.
About 75 people attended two meetings yesterday organised as part of the board's consultation on the proposed refurbishment of Lakes District Hospital and the establishment of an integrated family healthcare centre.
Remarkables Park Ltd director Alastair Porter criticised the board for not fully costing the proposals.
"What is the point in putting a proposal out for public consultation when you don't know if its feasible and it hasn't been fully costed? They [the community] need to know if they can afford it," he said.
Remarkables Park Ltd has resource consent to build a private hospital at Frankton.
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.
Another resident expressed concern it could cost patients more to be treated.
She said primary health care already cost 33% more in Queenstown than in Cromwell or Wanaka.
According to the board's consultation document, all patients will initially be assessed in a general practice.
Patients not needing emergency care will be treated by the GP and charged a fee.
Queenstown resident Mike Lynch said he was worried about "self interested" GPs favouring making patients pay over allowing access to free emergency care.
Otago-Southland regional chief executive Brian Rousseau said it would cost about $9 million to build the new facility, which he hoped would be open within two years.
"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.
Mr Rousseau also responded to questions about the provision of care for the elderly in the proposals and concerns that too many elderly residents had to move out of the district for long-term care.
He said there would be no aged-care or dementia beds in the new facility - they would be contracted to the new owners of the Lake Wakatipu Rest-home and Hospital.
Timeline
August 2009:Wakatipu Health Trust survey shows community wants more funding and better range of services at Lakes District Hospital.
October 2009: Wakatipu Health Trust's Queenstown Health Needs Assessment, shows shortage of hospital beds means Queenstown residents not receiving fair access to healthcare, particularly inpatient and aged residential care.
SDHB's hospital capacity review says bed numbers in Queenstown are adequate until 2026.
March, 2010: SDHB releases public consultation document detailing plans for major revamp of health services in Queenstown.
May, 2010: New merged Southern District Health Board will consider community feedback and make a decision.
Consultation document available at http://feedback.osdhbs.govt.nz/
