Minister gets warning on ‘dire’ state of Chch hospital
Infected dialysis patients lying side-byside. Patients in cardiac arrest in toilet cubicles so narrow they can’t be easily extracted. People in infectious isolation in six-bed rooms separated only by curtains.
The examples were raised by senior clinical leaders at Christchurch Hospital during a meeting with Health Minister David Clark to illustrate how the ‘‘dire’’ state of facilities were ‘‘negatively and drastically impacting patient care’’.
Summary notes of the July 2019 meeting, released under the Official Information Act (OIA), said eight buildings on the hospital campus remained ‘‘quakedamaged’’ and, despite the best efforts of staff, the hospital faced an ‘‘impending capacity crisis’’.
To deal with the lack of space, the clinical leaders’ group said the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) had gone to ‘‘exceptional lengths’’, including churning 183 patients through each bed a year compared to 140 four years ago.
Canterbury’s population had grown far quicker than Government projections, the group said, and there were ‘‘extreme frustrations’’ regarding a lengthy planning process overseen by the Ministry of Health to redevelop the hospital campus to add more space.
The lack of understanding from Government agencies was ‘‘incomprehensible’’, the group said in a letter to Clark. Every clinical team was under ‘‘extreme and unrelenting pressure’’ and ‘‘regardless of what decisions are now made regarding facilities, service failure is almost inevitable’’.
Photographs included in the presentation showed large cracks and exposed plaster in the earthquake-prone Riverside building. Services in the building are meant to move into the delayed Christchurch Hospital Hagley building when it finally opens this year.
However, the roughly $500 million building will provide only temporary relief. Modelling done by the CDHB shows the hospital campus won’t have enough beds to cover demand by next year.
Late last year, the CDHB considered a business case for the first stage of new facilities needed at Christchurch Hospital. The stage is likely to include a third tower on the new Christchurch Hospital Hagley building.
Documents released under the OIA show the clinical leaders’ group endorsed the business case (first stage) with caveats including that a fourth tower and central podium building be ‘‘fast-tracked’’ as part of a second stage.
A Government spokesman said the development of the business cases had
‘‘... regardless of what decisions are now made regarding facilities, service failure is almost inevitable’’.
taken ‘‘longer than expected’’, and they had yet to go to ministers for approval. ‘‘We acknowledge the clinicians’ frustrations, however it’s important that we get the hospital campus redevelopment right to ensure Canterbury DHB can continue to deliver the health services Cantabrians need.’’
CDHB chief executive David Meates said clinical teams and the board had gone to extreme lengths to maintain services since the earthquakes. ‘‘For the past 10 years patients have been managed in confined, crowded and challenging circumstances and our clinical teams have remained focused on delivering the best possible care.’’
There was a wide range of facilities that had yet to have earthquake repairs done, Meates said. ‘‘This has meant that many services have continued to be provided in sub-standard facilities. The major repairs required for existing Christchurch Hospital facilities cannot commence until we are able to shift services out.’’