Petition for board to resign

There have been calls for the board overseeing Twizel’s medical centre to resign following the termination of a doctor’s contract.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the High Country Medical Trust says claims the town would be left without a doctor were incorrect.

Dr Tim Gardner, who has worked as a GP in Twizel since 2009, will finish up at the Twizel Medical Centre on Thursday after his contract was terminated.

His departure, coupled with concerns about the management of the centre, has prompted some residents to start a petition calling for the centre’s board to resign.

The centre employs two doctors, Gardner and a locum, Dr Crystal Pyrak.

Pyrak is set to leave the practice in two weeks.

Twizel resident Eleanor HarrisBrouwer is one of the people driving the petition.

She urged people to show their displeasure with the departure of Gardner with a vote of no confidence in the centre’s board.

‘‘We the undersigned are appalled by the board’s decision to sack our only permanent GP, Dr T Gardner, and the probable loss our practice nurse leader, Juliet Gardner,’’ the petition states.

‘‘We believe the current board should resign immediately and a new board should be elected. This board should include the permanent doctor.’’

Harris-Brouwer was concerned that, with both doctors leaving the centre, there would be a lack of health services during the busy summer period.

‘‘It’s always been difficult to get a GP in Twizel, and we actually have one who’s really committed.’’

Outside of Twizel, the closest GPs were in Fairlie or Kurow, she said.

Copies of the petition had been distributed around Twizel, Oma- rama, and Mt Cook.

Harris-Brouwer said she was unsure how many signatures had been received so far, but she had received strong support on social media.

Despite the departures, High Country Medical Trust chairman Simon Williamson said the centre would remain fully staffed.

A new locum would be starting at the centre, as well as another GP who was coming for three months but had the intention of staying on, Williamson said.

Another doctor would join them over the Christmas period to help out, he said.

Williamson declined to comment on the reason for the termination of Gardner’s contract, but confirmed the doctor would leave the centre on Thursday.

‘‘I don’t want to get slinging match,’’ he said.

‘‘The doctor and board have agreed that his contract would be terminated. He’ll leave on the 27th, and the medical centre will carry on.’’

The board had received plenty of support, he said, but those people were not ‘‘out there swinging from the chandeliers.’’

‘‘It’s regrettable that it’s come to this, but it’s one of those things that happens,’’ he said.

‘‘Dr Gardner has given us good service.’’

The petition would not have any effect on the decision, he said.

Gardner declined to comment, saying he was ‘‘not allowed’’ to discuss the issue.

The organisers of the petition were planning to present it to the board at a meeting on Wednesday.

Twizel’s new $1.8 million medical centre officially opened in March.

The medical centre has been operating at its new site since early December, when staff shifted over from the old Tasman Dr medical centre.

The centre took two years to fundraise and build. into a