Counties Manukau Health welcomes $14m investment

Counties Manukau Health Board Chairman, Vui Mark Gosche has welcomed the Government’s approval to invest $14.6 million for two new facilities to provide additional High Dependency Dialysis facilities and a second Cardiac Catheter Laboratory (Cath Lab) at Middlemore Hospital.

“It is pleasing the Government has approved the business case for us to use some of our capital spend on improvements that will make a long-term difference for our communities,” says Mr Gosche.

“Our community is at the heart of what we do and the access to service in a district with high health needs, particularly for our Maaori and Pacific communities, is crucial.

“We currently only have one Cath Lab procedure room on site and we have seen the challenges facing our cardiology and high dependency dialysis services.

“There is a growing demand for interventional services provided by the Cath Lab with over 1500 patients treated in the last 12 months. The Cath Lab saves lives and we know that by treating patients early we improve quality of life and reduce the need for further care in the future. It is essential, therefore, to expand our capacity at the earliest opportunity.

“Our Scott Dialysis Unit is one of the six units at CM Health where either haemodialysis or training for home dialysis takes place. CM Health has the highest number of people on dialysis in the country and this continues to grow. Scott Dialysis provides in-centre haemodialysis for acute, complex and high acuity people.

“Last year, we provided treatment for up to 92 patients per week in a unit that was originally built for a capacity of 80 patients. It speaks to the commitment of our staff who have done so much to make things work, including having the unit running 3 or 4 shifts a day, including now an overnight shift, seven days a week to meet patient needs, and I want to acknowledge that.”

“This investment means we can plan with confidence to increase capacity, capability and flexibility to meet the ongoing demand for these services and will make a difference for both patients and staff.”

Counties Manukau District Health Board provides and funds health and disability services for a diverse population of around 560,000. The district is home to the second largest Maaori population and largest population of Pacific people in the country, as well as fast growing Asian communities. More than a third of the district’s residents live in areas of high-socioeconomic deprivation.

The business case aligns with the approved Northern Region CCL service plan priority, outlined in the Northern Region Long Term Investment Plan to provide short term responses to ease current pressures.

“It’s essential that we raise and maintain the standard of our high dependency dialysis and Cath Lab services so we can provide a service that will make a significant difference in supporting the health and wellbeing of our community in Counties Manukau,” says Mr Gosche.

Cardiac Catheter Laboratory

• Delivers a service for CM residents with a range of advanced cardiovascular diseases (CVD);
• A Cath Lab provides the facility to perform specialised procedures on the heart to save the lives of those suffering from acute and long term cardiac problems.
• The cardiac problems treated are for those with:
  - vascular pathology i.e. narrowed coronary arteries, which are opened up by the intervention resulting in improved blood flow to the heart
  - heart rhythm pathology i.e. the heart is beating incorrectly, in which case a Pacemaker is inserted to better regulate the heart beat