Hybrid hospital ‘great for district’

THE Southern District Health Board says it is ‘‘certainly open’’ to working with a new company formed to progress an independent surgical hospital in Queenstown.

The Otago Daily Times yesterday reported Southern Cross Hospitals Ltd and the Central Lakes Trust had formed Southern Cross CLT Ltd, tasked with performing due diligence for the proposal and, subject to that, hopefully building the new hospital.

Professional director Andrew Blair, who worked with Southern Cross to establish the joint venture, said the parties had kept the DHB informed and the proposed facility would be available from opening day for publicly funded patients.

Yesterday, DHB chief executive Chris Fleming said while ‘‘no specific agreements have yet been made’’ the board was open to providing more options for patients requiring surgical care.

‘‘There are a number of scenarios to consider for how

this could work, and we are exploring these possibilities with the parties involved,’’ Mr Fleming said.

‘‘Any addition to health services in our district are very welcome and the new partnership that has been announced is a positive step in this direction for the Central Lakes area.’’

Queenstown Lakes District councillor John MacDonald, also the chairman of the DHB’s Central Health Network, said the progress ‘‘has got to be good news’’ for the wider community.

The DHB’s willingness to work with Southern Cross CLT Ltd was particularly important as it would result in less travel for Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago residents requiring minor surgical procedures.

‘‘It’s just a great move for the district.

‘‘It’s a hybrid [model], really, and it means the community can benefit — not just the wealthy people with health insurance, but the wider community as well.

‘‘It’s also an acknowledgement, I think, of the times we live in; that we can’t have everything we want, but if we work together we can achieve the same result.’’

CluthaSouthland MP Hamish Walker said he had advocated for ‘‘some time’’ about a communityowned trust model to better service the community’s needs.

‘‘Our transient and ageing population and wasteful spending, like the $6.5 million patchup job [of Lakes District Hospital], show the current model is not working.

‘‘This new venture is a step forward for Queenstown and our health system.’’