Guru's  Backing Creates Biggest Health Petition: Better Health Services Closer to Home

 

The biggest petition in Kāpiti's history is continuing improve health services in Kāpiti. As mayor, Guru helped fund and launch a public campaign for a Community Hospital in Kāpiti. In less than six months the petition secured 22,400 signatures. The petition group was supported by the Kāpiti Health Advisory Group (KHAG). A mayoral task force set up by Guru. The petition is currently before the Parliamentary Health Select Committee.

 

This unprecedented petition revealed many horror stories and significant public concern over the lack of access to health services in Kāpiti. It challenged Capital & Coast Health Board to start a dialogue with KHAG.

 

KHAG's submission to CCDHB's Health System Committee in 23 October 2018 saw committee chair Fran Wilde congratulate us adding that Kāpiti was leading the Wellington Region in positioning itself to engage with CCDHB's new Locality Plan which aimed to bring health services closer to home.

 

While the Community Hospital Petition is still before Parliament there have been immediate improvements. The petition had highlighted that Wellington Free Ambulance took 5,500 patients per year to Wellington Hospital's Emergency Department with 46 percent sent back home without admission. 

 

WFA analysed the data, identified the most common causes. Worked  with CCDHB which contracted local doctors to cater for these cases. Today WFA diverts up to 40 patients to local doctors instead of taking them to Wellington. That's a savings of $1400 per patient with a projected saving of $672,000 per year! 

 

KHAG has asked CCDHB to use part of these savings to invest in Telehealth equipment for WFA to further reduce the need to transport patients to Wellington 

 

 

Mayor Guru was the first person to sign the petition.