The proposal to amalgamate the Southland and Otago district health boards could result in increased financial and clinical help for Gore Hospital, chief executive Karl Metzler says.
A public consultation document outlining the proposed merger of the two district health boards was released this week and public meetings will be held throughout the two regions this month.
The document outlines the benefits of the possible merging of the two boards, which includes a reduction in administration and bureaucracy costs so funding can be directed to front-line health services.
Mr Metzler said Gore Hospital was already funded through the Southern Alliance, which was a collaborative entity formed in 2007 involving the Southland and Otago DHBs.
The Southern Alliance shared services initiative involved gaining economies of scale in health services and business support functions between the two DHBs.
However, the provision of clinical services at Gore Hospital was administered by the Southland DHB, he said.
If the proposed merger went ahead, it might result in financial and clinical gains for Gore Hospital, Mr Metzler said.
One of the challenges Gore Hospital faced at present was that when Southland Hospital had a shortage of clinical staff, Gore Hospital's specialist clinics had to be cancelled because those specialists could not attend, Mr Metzler said.
So, if the merger went ahead, it could mean access to a larger pool of clinicians, therefore allowing continuity of clinics at Gore Hospital.
"I think, for us, it's kind of the next logical step," Mr Metzler said.
Southland DHB chairman Paul Menzies said on Monday he did not think a possible merger would adversely affect Gore Hospital.
"There could be more services and clinicians' visits in Gore. It is possible there could be a much easier flow of clinicians between the boards," Mr Menzies said.
Funding for health is calculated on a population basis. When asked if the population growth that might arise from those coming to work at a lignite-to-urea plant proposed for the Gore district would be factored into funding for the next round, Mr Menzies said if and when the population increased, funding would be adjusted.
He described health funding as "bloody scarce" at any time.
The number of people living in Southland-Otago was forecast to increase only marginally compared with the population of many other DHB areas. However, Gore's population was forecast to drop.
The Southland DHB was spending about $4.5 million more than the national average and Otago DHB about $9 million more than the national average on support services for older people, such as rest-home beds and home support, Mr Menzies said.
"We have a higher proportion of people older than 75 (6.5 per cent) compared with the national average (5.6 per cent) and this age group is forecast to increase in the next 20 years," the merger discussion document stated.
Eastern Southland Grey Power president Graham Parks said a merger might cut down on bureaucracy and he hoped it would bring benefits for the Gore district.
If the merger resulted in shorter waiting times for operations, then it would be a good move, Mr Parks said.
"For too long, it's been a sad story," Mr Parks said.
