21 April 2004
Redevelopment of Kaitaia Hospital
Health Minister Annette King and Te Tai Tokerau MP Dover Samuels today announced full approval for the Northland
District Health Board's $9.3 million redevelopment plan for Kaitaia Hospital, and called on the community to unite
behind the new hospital.
“Given the difficulties people in the Far North have faced in the past in battling to maintain health services, it is
not surprising that some mistrust and doubt has lingered in the wider community despite the inclusive approach taken
during the redevelopment project,” Ms King and Mr Samuels said in a joint statement.
“But we believe the DHB should now have earned community respect and trust. It certainly deserves it. It is committed to
sustainable health services in the Far North. So is the Government. The community can have full confidence that the
development of modern, high quality health facilities will start immediately. This is an investment that deserves a
unified community behind it to make it a success."
Ms King said in the past few months she had been able to announce a number of redevelopment projects for smaller
hospitals, including Wairarapa, Dunstan and Thames. “All these projects have differed considerably in detail, but they
have shared one important aspect --- each project has been developed in its own way to suit the needs of its community.
“That is certainly the case in Kaitaia. This redevelopment has actually been born out of this community’s initiative. It
agreed the best way forward for hospital and health services in the Far North was to undertake an independent review,
and it had input into the review team’s membership.
“The Independent Review Team identified many deficiencies in health service delivery in the Far North, noting high rates
of avoidable admission, under-resourced primary health care services, insufficient capacity and processes for after hour
emergency care, and poor integration of care among health providers.”
Ms King and Mr Samuels said the IRT had recommended continuing to provide hospital services, shifting the focus from
surgical and obstetric services toward integrated and preventative care, reducing surgical services to normal working
hours, and investing more in emergency and retrieval services, improving antenatal care and relocating local GPs and iwi
providers to the hospital site.
“Much has happened in the past year or so in terms of Far North health services,” they said. Surgery is now being
provided in normal working hours as part of one integrated surgical department; Patient transfer services (both road
ambulance and helicopter) have been improved; Communications systems between medical staff in Kaitaia and Whangarei have
been improved; More outpatient clinics are being provided by specialists from Whangarei; A Primary Health Organisation
has been established; And the DHB has introduced a community liaison group that regularly reviews the board’s progress
against the IRT’s recommendations. “But the most significant move is today’s approval for the hospital redevelopment
project. Under the Kaitaia Comprehensive Health Service, an integrated emergency department and accident and medical
unit will be established onsite to join the existing inpatient facility. The development will include a mix of
redevelopment of the existing hospital and new building to accommodate a full suite of primary care providers including
all Kaitaia-based GPs.
GPs will operate as one service from one site, sharing administrative systems, staffing and equipment. A single point of
24/7 access for Kaitaia residents will be established, significantly enhancing integration among primary care providers
and primary and secondary services. Access to laboratory, radiology and pharmacy services available on site. Community
health, community mental health, public health, maternity services and iwi providers servicing the immediate Kaitaia
catchment will also form an integral part of the Kaitaia Comprehensive Health Service.
“The Government believes this project offers the way forward for integrated and quality sustainable health services in
the Far North,” they said.
“This community has a rich history of being prepared to fight for quality health care, and today it can celebrate its
most important victory. The redeveloped hospital will stand as an enduring credit to this community’s passion for
quality health services. The Government has a responsibility to spend money on health services that can deliver the
widest possible sustainable benefits to the communities they serve.”
ENDS