Te Waiora says no can do

Shannon community share it's frustrations with Te Waiora management. Joanna Harrington was pictured sharing her frustrations.

Shannon community is searching for ways to provide their town with a full time doctor after current healthcare provider Te Waiora said they could not provide a full time GP.

Te Waiora currently provides a GP in Shannon for 12 hours per week. Te Waiora has on average 2.1 full time GPs to service 5000 people.

A public meeting was held last week between Te Waiora managers and Shannon community members to discuss issues hindering the appointment of a full time GP.

Te Waiora management made it clear there was no intention to provide the town with a full time doctor when asked outright by Ngati Whakatere representative on the Shannon Health Committee, Nina Pilkington.

"For the second time we have been stood up, the governors and stewards of Te Waiora sent managers who don't have decision making power. Chiefs speak with chiefs. We have never had that opportunity and that to me is saying something really important, that we don't matter to them," said Mrs Pilkington.

Te Waiora managers said they were not in a position to extend hours to full time.

Mrs Pilkington said there was no point in continuing the meeting if that was the final answer.

"As a committee it was agreed that within the first five minutes of finding out Te Waiora would not be giving us a full time doctor there was no reason to go on with the meeting. We are committed to getting a full time doctor in Shannon and will look at other avenues to do this. We have gone independent and sourced our own doctor before and we can do it again," she said.