Group admits putting up Kaitaia RIP signs

A Kaitaia community group has owned up to being responsible for the widespread appearance in the northern Far North of "Rest In Peace" signs bemoaning the loss of round-the-clock surgical cover at Kaitaia Hospital.

The professionally made signs suddenly began to pop up in public places throughout the greater Kaitaia area two weeks ago.

Each one accuses the Northland District Health Board and the Labour Government of killing off the 24-hour surgical cover.

Initially, no one claimed responsibility for the signs.

But a spokesman for the local Save The Hospital Services Committee acknowledged yesterday that his group was behind the sign campaign.

Gordon Bibb said about 40 signs had gone up so far but the committee was aiming for 50 between Te Hapua in the north and south to Mangamuka Bridge, where there is already a sign at the hotel.

"They'll go up and stay until the election this year, with some wording changes," Mr Bibb said.

The committee used money it had fundraised to pay for the signs.

"They're a constant reminder of what happened [to the hospital's surgical cover] and we want to remind people what the Labour Government did, or told the district health board to do," he said.

Twenty-four hour, seven-day surgical cover stopped at Kaitaia Hospital in February 2003.

Patients and expectant mothers needing urgent surgery outside normal Monday to Friday hours must go to Whangarei Hospital 165km away, either by helicopter, ambulance or private vehicle, depending on their condition.

The health board is spending $9.3 million on a project to upgrade medical, ward, GP and consulting services at the hospital, although all-hour surgical cover will not be restored.

Design work on the project and buildings has started.

An "R.I.P. Kaitaia Hospital" sign hung on the main doors of the hospital this week did not last long.

It was taken down, a spokeswoman said, because the board had a policy not to have any sign placed unexpectedly and without consent on its hospital buildings.

Earlier, when the signs began to appear, board chief executive Karyn McPeake said she was concerned that a small group of people continued to spread "consistently negative and ill-informed messages" that undermined confidence in hospital services and spread apprehension in the community.

Ms McPeake said that board members had met the group responsible for the signs on a number of occasions and would do so again if invited.