Who Are We?

The Wakatipu Health Trust is an independent, not for profit Queenstown based Charitable Trust established in 2003. The initial purpose of the Trust was to obtain funding from the Central Lakes Trust for the purchase of capital equipment for the Lakes District Hospital, in a way that allowed ownership of this equipment to remain vested in the community, independent of the District Health Board. In its early years, the Trust worked closely with the Southland District Hospital Board who identified and initiated other projects that could be funded through Central Lakes Trust using the same established model.

 

 

Through the Trust’s continuing consultation with the broader spectrum of local healthcare providers and the community, our Trustees became aware that there were significant healthcare opportunities and needs in the community that were not being addressed. To further ascertain and qualify the growing number of potential needs, the Trust commissioned its own planning and research survey. As a result, the Trust has developed longer term strategic plans to build up it’s resources, in order to more effectively schedule and implement a number of healthcare initiatives for the future.

 

Today, the Trust continues it’s positive relationship with the District Health Board, and makes ongoing purchases of medical equipment to augment the public system. It continues to own such equipment on behalf of the community. The Trust’s activities have evolved to encompass a wider charter with the implementation of the Primary Health Organisation structure across the country, and a Ministry of Health mandate that these organisations should be locally vested in their communities. Hence, in 2005 the Trust became the sole shareholder of the Wakatipu PHO, on behalf of the community. As such, it has a broader governance role and is the overarching health body responsible for improving public health facilities in the Wakatipu. It remains entirely independent from any DHB.

 

The objectives of the Trust are:
(i) To raise funds to develop and provide better public health and wellbeing
facilities and services for the people of the Wakatipu
(ii) To acquire equipment for placing in appropriate public health facilities which will enable public health providers in the Wakatipu Basin to deliver enhanced service to the local population and  enable residents and visitors to the Wakatipu Basin to enjoy affordable, accessible and high quality, public healthcare facilities.

Our focus is on improving technology at our local hospital, together with the PHO, implementing preventative screening programmes within the community and acquiring better diagnostic tools.

The Trust remains entirely independent from any DHB and has a firm policy of not subsidising the obligations of the DHB. 

(Photos courtesy SDHB)