Review of East Coast health services takes another step

Review of East Coast health services takes another step forward

The review of health services on the East Coast has taken another step forward with the boards of Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou, Ngati Porou Hauora and Tairawhiti District Health developing a set of draft principles to guide their future joint working relationship, as well as a draft project scope for a feasibility study.

These now require consideration by the boards of the three organisations before a formal sign off process can be implemented.

The draft principles emphasise maintaining the uniqueness of Ngati Poroutanga, and ensuring ongoing regular and open communication with Coast communities. The boards recognise East Coast communities want involvement and shared responsibility for improving health outcomes.

At their 5 November meeting, the three boards decided that to progress the review further they needed more detailed information on the options for the way services should be provided from a facility on the Coast, most likely to be in Te Puia.

To that end, the boards charged their chief executives to provide a feasibility study which took into account the factors raised in the original review completed in July 2013, as well as issues raised during community consultation hui.

Management representatives from the three organisations have now drafted a project scope setting out expectations for the base site feasibility and service model review. This project scope is intended to support a three-board application to the Ministry of Health for funding support of the review. It will also be used to provide service specification to the Request for Tender (RFP) that the three organisations will undertake in regard to the service and feasibility study.

The boards have agreed that no decisions are being made at this stage in regards to the main centre of health services on the Coast, or about what sort of facility there should be. The boards believe more in-depth information is needed before such decisions can be made.

Closing date for the RFP is set for 31 January 2014 and the boards plan to select a preferred provider by February 2014. The final report is expected to be completed in June 2014, with release to the community in July, followed by a period of community consultation.

Final recommendations are expected to go to the boards of Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou, Ngati Porou Hauora and Tairawhiti District Health in October 2014.

Click here for project scope details

Click here for draft working relationship principles

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