Whittled-down winter crew
Budget constraints have cut St John Wakatipu ambulance winter crew numbers. Six additional staff joined the team on Wednesday, down from eight last year. Station boss Keith Raymond admits funds have...
View ArticleHospital upgrade to cost ‘millions’
The South’s cash-strapped health board is pushing aside concerns over finances to pursue a long-awaited upgrade of Queenstown’s Lakes District Hospital. The upgrade, costing “some millions”, includes...
View Article$30m ski injury bill
ACC has picked up a $30 million bill for injuries to skiers and snowboarders in the Queenstown Lakes district over five years. Figures released by the government’s accident compensation arm show...
View ArticleAnonymous funding for hospital upgrade
Detailed plans are being prepared for the upgrade of Frankton’s Lakes District Hospital, although building work is not expected to start until the end of the year. The community representative on the...
View Article‘Monster’ plea for long-time physio
A Queenstowner is fundraising for a former long-time local physiotherapist suffering from Alzheimer’s. Allan ‘Monster’ Garard, who turned 60 this week, practised in Queenstown from 1991 till he was...
View ArticlePublic health warning
A Queenstown health expert believes “unbridled growth” is affecting the health of the resort’s workforce. Recently-retired medical officer of health Doctor Derek Bell is concerned growth leads to...
View ArticleBell tolls for career in public health
He calls the role unglamorous, but recently-retired medical officer of health, doctor Derek Bell, has confronted several serious public health challenges over the past 19 years. He discusses these,...
View Article‘Miracle baby’ still defies odds
Decked out with a pink helmet and red ski jacket, 9-year-old Phoebe Finlay looks like any other child learning to ski at Coronet Peak. But she’s negotiating the slopes primarily using hearing and her...
View ArticleTop charity spot lopped
A Queenstown teenager who shaved off his locks at the weekend is close to being one of the top individual fundraisers for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand. Benji Crossan, 14, decided to take part...
View ArticleQueenstown wraps family in love
A mum of two diagnosed with terminal cancer just over a month ago has no words to describe the generosity of Queenstowners. Elaine Iketau, 31, arrived in the resort on Monday with new hubby Daniel...
View ArticleMid-air scare: vet rescues radio DJ
A Queenstown vet treated a well-known human during a recent mid-air medical scare. Broadcaster Jason Gunn was flying back to Christchurch from his Queenstown holiday home when he passed out after...
View ArticleRescue heli funding up in the air
Lakes District Air Rescue Trust is flying on funding fumes. The lower South Island’s helicopter rescue service recorded a surplus of just $15,000 last financial year on a turnover of $2.3 million....
View ArticleLittle battler’s walking dream
Harry Finch is a happy, determined three-year-old, with a cheeky smile and big brown eyes. But, unlike his identical twin, Ollie, he’s never walked un-assisted. Their parents, ex-Queenstowners Bex (nee...
View ArticleMental health views sought
Queenstowners are being urged to give their health board a piece of their mind, as New Zealand marks Mental Health Awareness Week. Southern DHB’s Mental Health, Addictions and In-tellectual...
View ArticleSupport for those with dementia
A new therapy programme aiming to bring people living with dementia together is launching in Queenstown next month. Alzheimers Otago will offer the cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) programme to...
View ArticleResort lags on bowel curve
Too many Queenstowners aren’t taking free bowel cancer screening tests. The tests are free for those aged 60 to 74 who are eligible for public healthcare. However Queenstown-Lakes has the lowest...
View ArticleTrust-funded centre on the cards
A Queenstown couple’s planning to open a mental health centre to meet a gap they say the health board’s not addressing. Osteopath Michelle Moynes and her partner, Dion Freeman, are in the process of...
View ArticleNursing excellence recognised
They’re often the first people you see when you’re crook or hurt, and now Queenstown nurses have been recognised for their hard work. The nursing team at Lakes District Hospital’s been named Team of...
View ArticleJoint-venture hospital a step closer
A new hospital for Queenstown is a step closer after a private health company and a charitable trust formed a company to make progress on realising it. It is understood the Southern District Health...
View ArticleAfter-hours fix
Health chiefs will boost staff and increase mental health provision following an independent investigation into the unlawful detainment of a Queenstown man by police. Last October, the man was detained...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....