Hanmer completes move to community-based services

Hanmer completes move to community-based services

The Ministry of Health will monitor Hanmer Institute?s transition as its closes its inpatient treatment programme at Queen Mary Hospital and builds up its outpatient programme around the country.

Hanmer Institute has informed the Ministry that it will close its residential programmes at the Queen Mary site in Hanmer Springs on November 28 2003.

The closure comes two years into a three-year contract to gradually shift all Hanmer?s publicly-funded services from hospital-based to existing outpatient clinics.

Deputy Director-General Mental Health Janice Wilson said the Ministry needed to ensure that it was funding effective and efficient drug and alcohol treatment services that were accessible to those most in need.

The Mental Health Commission Blueprint guidelines for hospital-based drug and alcohol treatment indicate that there are still adequate bed numbers with other providers around New Zealand for people who need inpatient treatment programmes, said Dr Wilson.

?Outpatient programmes do need to be increased and I am confident that these outpatient services offer a valuable pathway for people trying to function without drugs or alcohol.?

?For many people treatment in the local community is less disruptive to them and their families.?

The Ministry entered into the three-year transition contract with Hanmer Institute on 1 January 2002, reflecting Government policy to increase the provision of community-based drug and alcohol treatment services.

The Ministry has asked Hanmer to prepare a management plan to work through any transition issues that patients may have and will monitor its implementation.

Hanmer has community clinics with publicly-funded services in Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton and Tauranga, as well as a privately-funded service in Auckland.

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