The Issues
What are the issues facing Lakes District Hospital?
Queenstown is the fastest growing region in the South Island. It is already close to meeting Statistics New Zealand 2011 population targets.
It is widely recognised as the jewel in the tourism crown and in addition to a growing number of residents, the population on any single day swells to more than double the resident population. So how well are our public hospital services keeping pace with the rapidly changing district?
Listed below are the key issues that the Trust has identified for discussion and debate in the community
1 Is Queenstown receiving its fair share of hospital funding?
Services are a function of funding. Without funding, the hospital is limited in its ability to expand services. In New Zealand, hospital funding is provided to District Health Boards by the Ministry of Health in Wellington. Funding is allocated on a population basis in each region. The DHBs in turn allocate the funding to local hospitals like Lakes District Hospital in Queenstown. To ensure communities have fairness in accessing health services at their local hospitals, it is only appropriate that funding be based on a similar population model.
So how do Queenstown residents fare? Check it out.
2 How suitable is the existing hospital for the future or is it time for a new one?
The existing hospital looks tired. It has had no capital upgrades in years. Is it worth saving or should we invest in a new hospital? Should it reside at Remarkables Park alongside the new Southern Cross Hospital?
3 Is Queenstown ready to govern its own public hospital?
All the other regional public hospitals across Otago /Southland and many other areas of New Zealand are owned or managed by their communities. Should Queenstown still be managed as just a ward of Invercargill? Should Queenstown be able to exercise some self-determination? What benefits would this bring to the community? How would it change things?
4. Does Invercargill have a conflict of interest in managing both Invercargill and Queenstown?
Is Invercargill happy to see Queenstown expand its range of services? Or does it prefer to see Queenstown residents depend on support of its own hospital? Should some of the modern diagnostic facilities be available in both Queenstown and Invercargill?
5. Is it time for a proper needs assessment of hospital services in Queeenstown?
The DHB has embarked on a hospital capacity review of Lakes District Hospital to assess the level at which current services are being utilised. But will this identify services that are not being provided at the hospital? Is it time for an objective needs assessment of hospital services in such a rapidly growing place like Queenstown?
More on this issue coming.
6. Is it appropriate that Queenstown pay in excess of $800,000 per annum as a capital charge?
The present hospital is on land that was designated hospital land in 1864. Is it fair that Queenstowners should be levied an annual capital charge on assets that were fully funded long before the DHBs were introduced?
More on this issue coming.
7. Is the range of services available in Queenstown appropriate for a rapidly growing community?
Long term hospital care for the elderly? Enhanced maternity facilities? Diagnostic tools? Post operative rehab? Should we expect access to some of these facilities within our own community?
More on this issue coming.
8. Should there be a clear distinction between public and private services in a future hospital model for Queenstown?
Private hospital services can go a long way to subsidising public health services. But is there a difference between a private/public model and a public/private model? Would the community interests be protected in a private model? Which stakeholder interests are being served by a governing board?
What difference would it make to Queenstown?
More on this issue coming.