Council approve Oamaru Hospital agreements

Published on 28 May 2024

Waitaki District Councillors today approved the agreements negotiated between Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and Waitaki District Health Services Ltd. (WDHSL) for the transfer of staff and services to Health New Zealand on July 1 2024.

Waitaki District Council, as sole shareholder in WDHSL, was required to approve any deal struck between the parties.

The transition agreement includes Health NZ purchasing WDHSL's clinical equipment, stock, and take over licences, equipment operating leases and service agreements. It will also lease the Ōamaru Hospital facility from WDHSL.

With Council approval, these agreements are conditional and further information will be provided when the agreement becomes unconditional. This will ensure a seamless transition of services on 1 July 2024 for staff and those using hospital services.

Mayor for the Waitaki District, Gary Kircher says: “Today marks a bittersweet change for our community, as we confirm the conditional agreement with Health NZ to take back our Ōamaru Hospital. It has been part of Council life since the late 1990s and has seen its share of highs and lows.

However, we have had to accept that now is the right time for it to go back into HNZ’s control, and I am pleased with the conditions negotiated by our hospital company and our CEO, Alex Parmley.

I wish to thank all of those involved in these negotiations, and a special thanks to our hardworking hospital staff, and board members over the last 25 years, for delivering the health services that the Waitaki community needs”

Council also confirmed its continued involvement in the Waka Haoura Health Futures Project, which seeks to develop an improved approach to achieving better health service access and outcomes for the Waitaki community.

It will be sharing more information with the community about the process leading to todays decision in the near future.

ENDS