Government gives Masterton Hospital $27.5m lifeline

Masterton Hospital has won its long fight to stay open with a $27.5 million funding boost from the Government.

The money, thought to be the biggest single injection of money into the region, will buy:

* A new 37-bed unit for medical and surgical patients.

* A new unit for obstetrics and neo-natal services.

* A new six-bed intensive care/coronary care unit.

* A new emergency department.

* A new outpatient clinic.

* A new eight-bed day procedure unit.

The rebuilding of the hospital will probably start next September or October.

Wairarapa District Health Board chairman Doug Matheson said the board had always known that if it could get the cash "then we could secure the future of this place".

At a special meeting with staff yesterday, he said management, staff and the community had fought long and hard.

Announcing the funding, Health Minister Annette King said the hospital's long-term future was secure.

"There's no way we're going to put $27 million into the hospital and then bowl it over."

Health board chief executive David Meates said the upgrade should also help with the recruitment of specialist medical staff.

"Not only will there be new facilities but with the type of care provided we should be able to increase the range of services for Wairarapa."

Long-time hospital campaigner George Groombridge said it was "the end of a battle that started in 1989".

"I've always said an area of this size needs a hospital. At this stage we can rejoice that they listened to the people of Wairarapa."

Wairarapa MP Georgina Beyer, who six months ago staked her job on keeping the hospital open, said she had always had faith that the Government would take health seriously.

Meanwhile, the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board has revealed that about 75 patients have already been cut from surgery waiting lists this year,

The news follows last week's announcement that 420 people who had waited longer than six months to be assessed by an ear, nose and throat specialist were being removed from hospital waiting lists.

The patients had all been referred for hospital treatment by GPs for routine conditions.

The board said patients with routine eye conditions would be removed from waiting lists next, followed by urology and orthopaedic patients.

Surgery waiting lists would be targeted early next year, but the board was unable to say how many patients would be affected.

Surgical and emergency services regional manager David Brydon said about 45 patients awaiting eye surgery were wiped from lists this year and about 30 patients with routine ENT conditions suffered the same fate.

The situation arose because demand for the board's services had outstripped available resources.

Mr Brydon said the cuts would give clarity to patients who were unlikely to receive public treatment under present funding and allow them to explore other options.

Critics argue that culling waiting lists will simply increase health disparities between rich and poor and result in delayed treatment for sick patients.

There are also fears that some serious conditions will not be diagnosed if people cannot access a hospital specialist.

The board has confirmed that all arranged surgery will be postponed at Nelson Hospital for six weeks from next Monday.

This year the board reduced the number of operations performed each week because it was doing more surgery than contracted to provide.

- NZPA