Blow for health centre

Christchurch's free one-stop youth health centre may close because of funding changes.

The 198 Youth Health Centre in Hereford St used to get an annual lump sum from the Canterbury District Health Board to provide free healthcare, including mental and sexual health, for those aged 10 to 25.

The board recently scrapped lump-sum funding to the centre and instead will pay it for every patient it recruits.

Centre manager Graeme Bisseker said that if the centre could not recruit and retain about 2500 patients by June next year, it could be forced to close."Essentially, what we've got to do now is compete with other GP services," he said.

One worker at the centre has already been made redundant as a result of the funding changes.

Bisseker feared that if the centre closed, Christchurch would see an increase in sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies and depression.

Young people tended to use the centre for mental and sexual-health problems and their family GP for other health issues.

Under the new funding arrangement, they would be forced to choose one health provider, he said.

The centre must enrol at least 500 patients each quarter, with the first 500 enrolled by the end of this month, he said. So far it was on target.

The centre treated about 3700 people annually.

Health board planning and funding team leader Toni Gutschlag said that under the old funding arrangement, young people were funded to attend the 198 centre as well as whichever GP they were enrolled with.

The board was working with the youth centre to help it adjust to the changes, she said.