The Canterbury Charity Hospital: an update (2010-2012) and effects of the earthquakes.

Aim: To update activities of the Canterbury Charity Hospital (CCH) and its Trust over the 3 years 2010-2012, during which the devastating Christchurch earthquakes occurred.

Methods: Patients' treatments, establishment of new services, expansion of the CCH, staffing and finances were reviewed.

Results: Previously established services including general surgery continued as before, some services such as ophthalmology declined, and new services were established including colonoscopy, dentistry and some gynaecological procedures; counselling was provided following the earthquakes. Teaching and research endeavours increased. An adjacent property was purchased and renovated to accommodate the expansion. The Trust became financially self-sustaining in 2010; annual running costs of $340,000/year were maintained but were anticipated to increase soon. Of the money generously donated by the community to the Trust, 82% went directly to patient care. Although not formally recorded, hundreds of appointment request were rejected because of service unavailability or unmet referral criteria.

Conclusions: This 3-year review highlights substantial, undocumented unmet healthcare needs in the region, which were exacerbated by the 2010/2011 earthquakes. We contend that the level of unmet healthcare in Canterbury and throughout the country should be regularly documented to inform planning of public healthcare services.