David Clark
MP for Dunedin North
Health
Assoc Finance

20 July 2017

Snafu at Princess Margaret

Jonathan Coleman has to stop the stalling over a new building for mental health services in Christchurch to replace the quake damaged Princess Margaret Hospital, says Labour’s Health spokesperson David Clark.

“The Government must accept that Christchurch is still recovering from the earthquakes and Princess Margaret Hospital is shored up with timber and is no longer fit for purpose.

“It is no longer clinically safe to keep services there for a city that is still feeling the long-term impact of the quakes. Just a few months ago the DHB was refused $7.2 million dollars for mental health services.

“So when Jonathan Coleman sent his clinical review teams down to Christchurch to investigate the situation it was nothing short of appalling that those teams never visited Princess Margaret and even questioned the need for more beds for mental health.

“Are he and his officials even aware of the fact that there has been a 72 per cent rise in people with mental health problems presenting at Christchurch emergency departments?

“Canterbury is facing real pressures as a result of gross underfunding.

“It’s time for a fresh approach to this funding snafu and Labour has announced that when it’s elected it will invest $8 billion more in health under its Fiscal Plan,” said David Clark.

ends

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