The current Taihape Health Ltd facility (pictured) will move down the hill to the old hospital building. Photo / Bevan Conley
The current Taihape Health Ltd facility (pictured) will move down the hill to the old hospital building. Photo / Bevan Conley
Moving several Taihape health services to one location will result in better outcomes, community leaders say.
A proposal to refurbish the old hospital, located on the same grounds as Taihape Health Ltd on Hospital Road, was put forward to the Whanganui District Health Board (now Te Whetu Ora Health New Zealand) in 2021.
That was a joint effort from primary care provider Whanganui Regional Health Network (WRHN), Taihape Health Ltd (THL) directors, and iwi health provider Mōkai Pātea Services.
Since then, a series of hui (meetings) have been held to get public feedback on the project and architect Duncan Sinclair has collaborated with the THL workforce and community leaders to work out the new facility’s design.
WRHN chief executive Judith MacDonald said the design was only one aspect of the project.
“There’s also the model of care, how we as a whānau ora and health team come together and do things differently, and what’s important to our people.
“It certainly helps wellness when you have a service that’s meaningful for the community.”
Taihape Health Ltd is a subsidiary of the Whanganui Regional Health Network, along with Gonville Health, Ruapehu Health and Whanganui Accident and Medical (WAM).
The former staff quarters are in the process of being demolished. Photo / Bevan Conley
There are now only two buildings on the grounds - the hospital and the current Taihape Health Centre (formerly the former Ruanui rest home).
MacDonald said the former staff quarters were being demolished as the building was a liability and hadn’t been maintained for years.
Consent for the first part of physical construction, the X-ray facility, was close to being finalised and builders were ready to go, Sinclair said.
“For the locals, it will be great to get that going. As soon as builders show up it’s like ‘Ah, something is happening’, which I can totally understand.”
After X-ray, attention will turn to the redesign of the maternity unit.
He said it was important to keep as much of the old hospital building intact as possible.
‘We want to reuse a lot of what’s there and keep a lot of that history.
“Almost everyone up there knows someone who was born there, or they were born there themselves. Most people have a connection with the building in one way or another.”
Working under the same roof as THL would result in better service for locals, Mōkai Pātea Services chair Tracey Hiroa said.
“Once you get into development mode you want things to happen straight away but the reality is, it’s taken us a good two years of planning and making sure our people are on board and are aware of what we’re doing - working together for the betterment of our whole community.
‘It’s been a very positive process for us and we’re fortunate to have someone of Jude’s oversight, drive and passion to be able to keep moving us forward.”
Architect Duncan Sinclair says the old hospital building holds memories for a lot of people. Photo / Supplied
The former senior manager at Mōkai Pātea Services, Ngawini Martin, is now service manager at THL and will lead the merge of health and whānau ora services into one facility.
“She has been an integral part of Mōkai Pātea Services, right from the very start,” Hiroa said.
“The previous (THL) manager retired and it was probably a natural thing to look at someone like Ngawini, who has had many years in the Taihape health scene, to take over that role.
“Collaboration is what it’s all about.”
Sinclair said the project consisted of three stages - working out what the needs were, designing spaces to accommodate them, and “building something if it needs building”.
“The (hospital) building is just amazing. The natural light in it is incredible and the architects who worked on it in the past did a great job.”
MacDonald said each hui was richer in conversation, with a “wider group of interested community”.
“You get a sense that they’re owning the process and owning some of the decisions we need to make.”
The first service to move back into the old hospital building (right) will be X-ray. Photo / Bevan Conley
The new facility will include a shared space that can be used by the public after hours and at weekends and all going to plan, a cafe will offer young people work experience with food preparation.
“It will be great that they (the community) can see it as their space and have the ability to come up, meet, and have activities,” MacDonald said.
“Primary care is not a hospital. It’s all about supporting people in their own homes and providing all that early intervention stuff.
“An activity like tai chi, which is something older groups are doing, is just as important for someone’s wellness as having a blood pressure check.”
Money for the project comes Te Whatu Ora, which owns the hospital building, WRHN, Mōkai Pātea Services, and community contributions made via the Otaihape Community Trust.
Having different funding streams meant a lot more people were able to take ownership of it, resulting in a better and richer outcome, Sinclair said.
“It comes down to taking the time to understand each other. It’s not just about one step. We are thinking about everyone involved, and we can help people do a better job in whatever they do, we’ve just doubled the benefit.”
Along with THL and Mōkai Pātea Services, the new facility could potentially house providers such as Plunkett, Jigsaw, visiting hospital specialists, and physiotherapists, MacDonald said.
“Hopefully, it’s an inclusive process, not an exclusive one.
