The site of a new CT scanner may hinge on whether Queenstown coughs up more community cash than Central Otago. 

That’s the broad hint from Southern District Health Board money-man Robert Mackway-Jones over the scanner’s location. 

Mackway-Jones: “We can be a facilitator of further conversations [between Queenstown and Central Otago] to see if there’s a consensus view but primarily [the scanner location] could be dependent on that community funding or other things which are yet to be seen.” 

Asked to what extent community funding might influence location, Mackway-Jones quickly qualifies his position: 

“I don’t think it should be or will be a [funding] race because a number of parties need to agree. 

“SDHB is going to need to agree what its contribution will be, as will any community group and/or funder,” he says. 

A radiology firm or private hospital might also be interested in part-funding the scanner and may want a say on location, Mackway-Jones adds. 

The scanner site remains a hot topic after a National Health Board-appointed (NHB) panel overrode SDHB’s penny-pinching plans for Wakatipu healthcare. 

Scotching the proposed part-privatisation of Lakes District Hospital, the panel instead ordered LDH services to be beefed up – notably with the new scanner, which will serve Central Otago too. 

Dunstan Hospital in Clyde then announced its own hopes for a CT scanner, causing SDHB to quibble with the NHB panel about its Queenstown site decision. 

The panel panel put its foot down, however, “confirming” the scanner must go into LDH. 

SDHB has now adopted a hands-off stance, saying it will leave the Wakatipu and Central Otago communities to resolve the scanner’s location. 

SDHB continues to warn that the scanner requires “significant community funding for both capital and running costs”. 

The NHB panel chairman Dr Peter Foley puts the upfront cost at $750,000 . 

Mackway-Jones agrees this would buy a basic scanner, with a higher-tech model costing about $1.1 million. 

Wherever the scanner’s sited, Mackway-Jones says it must be “supported by the community because it’s [economically] marginal and the DHB wouldn’t be in a position to fully fund it”. 

SDHB will contribute, he pledges, adding: “It’s just what proportion and that’s obviously all part of future discussions.” 

Foley says his panel always contemplated the scanner would be part-funded by the community and possibly private providers. 

“The unfortunate thing is the DHBs are cash-strapped,” Foley adds.