Better care provided at centralised hospitals - Hawke's Bay DHB

Not for the first time since the Napier Hospital was closed, debate has been sparked over the need for the city to have such a facility. Photo / File

Hawke's Bay clinicians have responded to concerns about a need for a hospital in Napier, after a resident's campaign for a satellite facility in the city reignited this debate.

Since the Napier Hospital complex closed in 1998 residents have been serviced by Hawke's Bay Hospital in Hastings.

Yesterday Hawke's Bay District Health Board physician and chief medical and dental officer Dr John Gommans said when people urgently need medical care, the "best and safest services" are offered at a centralised major hospital with all resources on hand, as this provides better care.

"They support specialist facilities that can't be duplicated in smaller hospitals such as CT and MRI scans, intensive care units and modern operating theatres.

"In addition, they allow for all the key specialities to work together and provide access to senior and experienced staff ensuring better patient outcomes because they are concentrated on one site."

Dr Gommans said centralised resources are also more efficient "in terms of volumes, making best use of specialist equipment and the staffing of 24/7 rosters of specialist doctors and nurses".

No clinical leaders involved in the current redesign of future services to be delivered at the hospital had suggested or supported the establishment of an acute or general hospital in Napier, he said.

"The time travel between Napier and Hastings is not relevant clinically – even less so than 20 years ago with the expressway."

For Napier GP Dr David Rogers, investing in primary care is the answer to meeting growing healthcare needs.

"It's very easy to say we need to spend more money in secondary [hospital] care, but actually investing in primary care can and will make a real difference in health care across the board," he said.

"We have more than enough hospital for Hawke's Bay in the Hastings-based hospital, what we need in Hawke's Bay is more investment in primary care."

As well as a growing population there are "massive health inequities".

"The only way the health system can cope, locally or globally, is by investing heavily in quality primary care as close as possible to our communities. That's what I've said to the Clinical Services Plan and what I believe is the key for health in Hawke's Bay."