Official ceremony marks opening of Hastings Health Centre

Kaumatua Gerry Hapuku speaks at the official opening of the Hastings Health Centre.

As a steady stream of patients walked through the doors of the new Hastings Health Centre, invited guests and those behind the multi-million dollar vision gathered in celebration.

It marked the end of a nearly three-year project and the beginning of a new journey for the centre, which is now one of the most modern integrated primary-health care facilities in New Zealand.

"This is one step but a major one in a journey that started in the early 2000s when a small group of health professionals decided to drive change in the health sector and take their destiny into their own hands and finance the Hastings Health Centre as we know it today," chairman Peter Ellis said.

Despite having opened nearly a month ago, minor touch-ups and the installation of the dental service meant the official opening was delayed until last Friday.

Chief executive Andrew Lesperance said the move proved to be both particularly challenging and particularly exciting.

The centre shut for the last time at its old site on Queen St at 6pm on Friday, April 26, and by 8am the next morning, its urgent care service was fully functional in the new building on the corner of St Aubyn St West and King St, Hastings.

"This was all because we had a great team who said they could, and they would and they did. By that Monday, all our of our suites were up and running and we were pretty much fully functional," he said.

Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst opened the building and unveiled a plaque in recognition.

"You are providing our very diverse community with health services which will improve their mental and physical wellbeing," she said.

"There is no question that we have changing demographics of our people, both young and old and they need a strong quality of care and support and love."

But for the five founders, including Paddy Twigg, the building symbolises a continuation of the vision they established in 2002.

"The vision is still the same, the patient is at the centre of everything we do. The person coming in needs to have some kind of ownership, a feeling of belonging when they come in," the shareholder said.

He said the concept of splitting the services into separate suits "worked so well".

"When people come in, they're not just a number, they come to a receptionist who recognises them and knows them and welcomes them. Their doctor and their nurse are together in rooms that are next door to each other so the whole transaction that people have when they come here is much more personal and I think that's so important for their health.

Southern Community Laboratories Hawke's Bay general manager, Andrew Milne said they are "really pleased to be a part of this fantastic new building".

"It's great to have a presence in such a large facility. And we are getting good feedback from our patients about the new facility."