DHB demands assurances at final meeting

The Team Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:

An assurance Ziman House at Reefton will not be permanently closed by the successor to the West Coast District Health Board has been affirmed by management after a final debate as the DHB wound up this week.

Veteran West Coast health advocate Peter Neame took the board's management to task, and eventually got an assurance when chairman Rick Barker stepped in, asking for a simple "yes or no" answer.

The board as superseded today by the rollout of the new Health NZ and Maori Health Authority. The West Coast, however, one of nine regions selected for a 'locality' pilot which means the community will be consulted on the shape of the new structure and West Coast-specific service delivery.

Neame, an elected board member and retired psychiatric nurse, launched into management at the start of the meeting.

He said the public perceived the DHB's stated plan to reopen the Reefton facility was not genuine.

"There's general perception by the public that there is no intention of this board or a future authority that it would reopen (Ziman House)," he said.

The argument by the board that staffing was behind the temporary closure of the facility was something he "never, ever accepted".

DHB general manager Phillip Wheble repeated that aged residential care on the West Coast was "significantly challenged" at present due to the national nursing shortage and that meant reopening Ziman House was also a challenge.

The issue of staffing was regardless of the mix of private and public aged residential care in the region, he said.

"We've got to look at how we can provide a sustainable service that provides the outcome we want."

Neame replied: "I'm only getting a bureaucratic answer".

Wheble repeated that the board needed to be "innovative".

It was at this stage Barker stepped in.

"Is there a commitment to reopen Ziman House -- yes or no? Let's hear it, without all of the other things," he said.

DHB chief executive Peter Bramley responded with a simple "yes".

Wheble said the full-time equivalent of 5.6 registered nursing staff would be needed for "hospital level care" based on eight patients at Reefton.

Bramley, just appointed as interim South Island manager for Health NZ, repeated his affirmation that the Reefton care facility would open again.

"There is absolute commitment that we reopen Ziman House," he said.

However, that was "on the proviso" of providing a safe level of nursing care.