Nelson-marlborough Health In Stronger Position

Health Minister Bill English said today he had supported Nelson-Marlborough Health's business plan for the year and noted that the hospital was in a stronger position now than it had been for some years.

"A key feature of the 1998/99 business plan is that the hospital is forecasting to achieve a break-even point by the 2000/01 year. This year a loss of $2.6 million is forecast, followed by a loss of $1.8 million and then reaching break-even. Nelson-Marlborough is now in a much stronger position than it has been for a number of years.

"Reaching a surplus will be a significant achievement for the hospital and means that people in Nelson and Marlborough can have certainty and security about their health services into the future. Any surpluses will be ploughed back into health services.

"Current highlights include:

- new theatres at Nelson being opened this week
- business case being prepared for the redevelopment of the Nelson site Nelson-Marlborough Health working closely with the Marlborough Transitional Health Trust, which is seeking to become an integrated care organisation
- good progress with the deinstitutionalisation of Ngawhatu and Braemar.

"Nelson-Marlborough Health is also doing well in its key performance measures. Its average length of stay of 3.3 days, and its average bed occupancy rate of 83 percent put it third on both counts out of its group of six. With customer satisfaction, 62 percent of patients rate it very good, with puts it fourth out of 22 hospitals.

"I am confident that Nelson-Marlborough Health is in a sound financial position and that people in both Nelson and Marlborough have security about their on-going hospital services," said Mr English.