More Info →Foxton Maternity Home 1942-1982 Page 44

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explained about the board's financial position and the nationwide shortage of midwives. Mr J McKelvie as a representative for Foxton Beach residents and those people from a large area in the county - who relied on the Maternity Home, also opposed the proposed closure. At the end of this meeting, the following motion was put and passed unanimously and with acclamation: 'That this meeting is adamantly opposed to the closure of the Foxton Maternity Home.'

An action committee was then elected who were:

Mr N Hunt (Mayor of Foxton), Mr J McKelvie (Chairman Manawatu County) ,Mr A Ryan, Mr G Rotherham, Mr C Easton, Mr J Titcombe, Mrs J Lash, Mr D Page, Mr D Williams, Mrs M Donnelly, Mrs P Tarrant, Mrs B Purcell, Mrs D Perry.

The Action Committee was united and did not want alternative plans, (as the Board had implicated they might have.) They met with representatives of the Palmerston North Hospital Board at a meeting on 16th September 1980 in the Borough Council Chambers. At this meeting, the hospital boards' chairperson (Mr G Cumming,) suggested that the arguments for non-closure be put into written submissions by the Action Committee for consideration by the hospital board at a full meeting. This was duly done by the Action Committee, and 28 submissionswere collated and were presented by chair-person Mr Neal Hunt via a letter to the board on September 23rd 1980. In concluding the submissions, the writer hoped and urged that board members view the proceeding arguments with sympathy, saying, "Administering as you do, a large "empire" and budgeting in multiple millions, is a complex and thankless task tempered by the realisation that your board is dedicated to the relief of pain and suffering, we would ask that you weigh carefully the social, economic and community factors implicit in the proposal to close the Foxton Maternity Home."

Mr Neal Hunt said a closure would affect the town's whole medical service, and also it would be harder in the future to attract new doctors. The impact of travel costs on families would not be good, and he did not see the closure as a political move but rather a continuation of the centralization policy the country seemed to be adopting and the concept of "big is beautiful".

Some of the submissions were: (précis (abridged) versions)

• There was not a shortage of trained midwives 64- any other staff for Foxton Maternity Home.

• The declining use of the home was to be regretted and was undoubtedly a reflection of a national trend. (An update of this submission, shows that the 1979-80 birth figures of 45 was a low-point, but had increased to 49 in 1980-81.)

• It was anticipated that with forward bookings, births for the year ending March 31, 1982, would total 51.

• The Hospital Board had been charged by its minister to reduce its operating costs by one percent. It would seem reasonable for the board to attempt the reduction across the whole of its operating costs and not single-out one independent unit to carry an undue proportion of this reduction.

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Date

2005