ADHB Terminates Contract With Belhaven Rest Home

ADHB Terminates Contract With Belhaven Rest Home

Auckland District Health Board's chief planning and funding officer, Dr Denis Jury, today announced that the Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) had terminated its aged related residential care contract with Belhaven Rest Home with immediate effect.

Dr Jury said that the decision had been made based on the preliminary findings of the Ministry's ongoing investigation and the recommendations of the Temporary Manager appointed by ADHB last week.

"The Temporary Manager was appointed because Belhaven had failed to comply with the obligations that are set out within their contract with the ADHB," said Dr Jury.

"What has now become very clear is that any efforts to implement remedial processes would be very complex and take considerable time. It is therefore in the best interest of the residents that the contract is terminated so they can get the standard of care they require as soon as possible."

Dr Jury said that while residents are generally comfortable, there were significant concerns regarding the ongoing clinical governance of the rest home.

"The residents at the rest home have a range of clinical and specialist needs. While the majority of the staff were doing their best, it was the view of the Temporary Manager that the facility was unable to ensure the required standards of care set out in the contract would be provided to the residents, and Belhaven's management could not remedy these breaches," said Dr Jury.

Where clinically possible, the ADHB would make every effort to keep the residents together to limit any distress the move from Belhaven may cause.

"Client safety and wellbeing is paramount to us and we recognise that these residents have developed a very close community at Belhaven. We will be working with each of the residents' families to do everything we can to ensure that, where clinical need allows, the residents are able to stay together in the future."

Families have been informed of the developments at Belhaven over recent weeks and the ADHB is currently discussing long term residential options with them.

"Every patient has the right to the correct standard of care, carried out in a professional and dignified manner. We take this obligation seriously, which is why we have made this decision today," says Dr Jury.

It is expected that all residents will be moved over the next 24 hours.

ENDS

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