New owners for troubled Mangere rest home

A large Auckland rest home and hospital under threat of closure from the Ministry of Health after findings of substandard care has new owners.

PacifiCare Trust has three months to bring the Pasifika Centre and Hospital in Mangere, previously owned by the Culverden Group, up to scratch.

The ministry's deputy director-general, Dr Colin Feek, said PacifiCare had been granted a three-month certificate to provide medical and geriatric services, and rest home care.

The trust took over operations a week ago. It was incorporated in December 1993 and claims on its website to be the first "Pacific nations non-governmental organisation mental health provider".

A full audit will be conducted by an independent agency in November to see if the rest home has been brought up to ministry standards.

The centre houses about 100 mostly elderly and Pacific Island patients. Health officials moved to close the centre in April after surprise inspections showed substandard care.

The ministry said it had given the former owners 15 months to upgrade its care but concerns had remained that improvements would not be sustained. By June 2005, the ministry said progress had been made but some "high risk" areas has still not been addressed. Culverden Group's certification was cancelled in April.