People in the Waitaki should be receiving the same standard of healthcare as the rest of New Zealand, no matter who owns the hospital, Health Minister Ayesha Verrall says.

Minister Verrall visited Ōamaru on Friday (September 8), spending the morning at the hospital with Waitaki District Health Services chief executive Keith Marshall, senior hospital staff and Te Whatu Ora representatives, followed by a public meeting held at the Ōamaru Opera House.

Minister Verrall told the public she had come away from her morning meeting reassured that holes in the staffing roster had been filled, and Ōamaru Hospital would soon be employing two new doctors. The hospital was forced to close its Emergency Department three times between June and August, due to an inability to get locum cover. 

About 80 people attended the public meeting, held in the Ink Box Theatre. 

Minister Verrall spoke of her experience as a student studying at Otago University. Following that, she had travelled overseas to study infectious diseases, completing a PhD in contact tracing.

She decided to enter politics at the last election, and her medical experience meant she was heavily involved with the Covid Response Team, eventually being named Health Minister in February.

Questions from the public ranged from the new vaping laws - one asking why they aren’t more stringent, the other, a local vape shop owner, complaining they are unworkable - to, a lack of addiction and mental health services in the district to, of course, Ōamaru Hospital.

“Let me be clear, that the Government doesn’t own that hospital, but the point is Te Whatu Ora should take responsibility that the services there are of the standard that people throughout the country expect, need and deserve,” the minster said.

“I’m trying to be respectful of the fact that there is a local ownership arrangement and I don’t want to come in over the top of that, but I think what needs to happen is there needs to be collaboration to make sure that you’re supported in . . . terms of the funding, the service provision and the staffing.

“I think you should have the same expectation of standard of service,” she said to loud applause.

In a closed session with the media after her public appearance, Minister Verrall said it was evident there was a “really good” working relationship between hospital management and Te Whatu Ora, which was a good basis for improving the sustainability of the service. 

Waitaki District Health Services, which runs the hospital, is a Waitaki District Council controlled organisation, but has a funding contract with Te Whatu Ora for provision of health services to the district. 

A new contract announced in March this year, meant an additional $3.5m for the hospital each year, on top of about $11m the hospital received annually, in order to provide pay parity to nurses and other support staff.

When questioned about potential Government ownership of the hospital, Minister Verrall said that is not for them to decide. 

“Having grown up in this region, I am aware there are a number of community ownership arrangements across Otago/Southland, and though in some cases the community is very proud of their independence as well and we have to respect that, I think that from the Government's point of view, though, all New Zealanders should be entitled to the same standard of health service.”

If a decision was made locally, to call on the government to take back control of the hospital, it was an important service for the region, and something it would have to consider, she said.

“There are services elsewhere in the country that Te Whatu Ora owns, both hospitals and A&Es, and Greymouth Hospital would be an example,” she said.

Te Whātu Ora is working with all community and rural hospitals, particularly in the South Island, towards fair contracting to deal with historic arrangements and inconsistencies between the hospitals.

“In Oamaru's case, I think it hasn't been fairly funded for the service that it was offered, so that's being addressed,” she said.

“Work on financial sustainability is actively underway between Oamaru Hospital and Te Whatu Ora, and I want to see those discussions reach a conclusion.

“I'd say, though, that I was also told that the improvement in funding has meant that the opportunity to get better locums has meant that the hospital now is very confident about its staying open and staffing.”

The health reforms include the opportunity for more local collaboration with Te Whātu Ora on services, and the minister had “the sense” there is already strong local government involvement in healthcare in Waitaki.

“There's a good coalition of the willing around healthcare here . . . and that's a strong basis to build on.”

Keith Marshall confirmed the hospital had reached an arrangement with Te Whatu Ora around how it secures locum cover.

“In practical terms that means that they will fund the additional costs of doing so. 

“They have also committed to using their internal relationships with their own doctors to promote placements with us too,” he said. 

Two new permanent doctors are also lined up to be in place from very early in the new year.

“We’re just working through all the logistical details with them at the moment.”

Minister Verrell also addressed a current general practitioner shortage, which is a nationwide issue, but affecting the Waitaki with waiting lists to join local medical practices, and a restricted after hours service. 

She said GPs were a “critical workforce” for the health system, particularly in helping to manage chronic conditions and keep people out of hospital.

“Plus they're the people most of us have trusting relationships with.”

All Government efforts to address the medical workforce shortage have included a strong component of general practice. A planned gradual increase of 300 GP training positions over the next few years is currently at 200, she said. 

There is also an expectation that universities increase their general practice and rural general practice exposure for students.

“That really raises the chances that they consider that as a career,” the minister said.  

“We are funding general practice trainees to have a salary the same as hospital specialist trainees. Which is not just attractive, but it also shows that GPs are specialists too.”

There are also financial incentives in place to attract GPs to rural areas, including a $20,000 relocation payment to anyone filling a vacancy which has been open for more than six months.

It was an almost full house at the Ōamaru Opera House Ink Box Theatre to listen to the health minister speak on Friday. PHOTO: Supplied