Medical centre mooted as SDHB Te A¯ nau hub
The Fiordland Medical Centre is tipped to be the site of the Southland District Health Board’s maternal and child hub in Te A¯ nau, but some midwifery services will be provided from the community centre until a longterm facility can be established there.
The board has been tightlipped about the location of the site. However, on Monday, strategy, primary and community executive director Lisa Gestro said the board was on track with arrangements for maternal and hub services to be in place in Te A¯ nau on March 1.
‘‘Negotiations have yet to formally conclude but we have, in principle, an agreement that the Fiordland Medical Centre is the location for the maternal and child hub, and we’re now exploring options around expansion for the long-term accommodation of the hub at this site.’’
Gestro said until further space in the medical centre was available, the board’s plan was to provide routine midwifery services from the community centre, where the local lead maternity carer midwifery clinics were now, while the emergency assessment and treatment centre, including equipment for rapid births or obstetric emergencies, would be housed in the Fiordland Medical Centre.
News of where the Te Anau ¯ hub would be based comes as the trust that runs the Lumsden Maternity Centre, which is being downgraded to a hub, negotiates with the board to sell equipment and lease its building.
In a statement, Northern Southland Health Limited said it has proposed to lease the part of the health centre that currently provides primary maternity services to the board.
‘‘This arrangement will ensure that the trust receives a fair rental and that the operating costs for the building are shared between the tenants. As the tenant for the maternity part of the building, the SDHB would be able to sub-lease rooms if needed, with the approval of the trust.’’
The trust also proposed to sell most of the medical equipment, as well as the chattels, to the board at valuation.
‘‘Trustees understand that many in the community have fundraised for, or otherwise contributed to, the purchase of many of these items for the Lumsden Maternity Centre. Those contributions have helped make it such a special place and are greatly appreciated.
‘‘Whilst it is not a decision that trustees take lightly, we consider that the sale of these items to the SDHB is the most prudent course of action.
‘‘While the trust is unified that a maternal and child hub is not its preferred model of care, this course of actions allows the equipment to continue to be used to provide maternity services in our community.’’
In August, the board announced the outcome of its review of maternity services in Southland and Otago and, under that plan, Lumsden would no longer be a primary birthing centre.
Hubs would ¯be established in Wanaka, Te Anau, Lumsden, Tuatapere and Ranfurly.
‘We have, in principle, an agreement that the Fiordland Medical Centre is the location for the maternal and child hub.’
Lisa Gestro