▁year , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁another ▁ten ▁years ▁before ▁a ▁site ▁was ▁found ▁for ▁the ▁‘ N orth ▁Western ▁Hospital ’ . ▁In ▁the ▁en su ing ▁years ▁a ▁ger iat ric ▁block ▁was ▁built ▁and ▁the ▁site ▁also ▁became ▁a ▁base ▁for ▁community ▁home ▁health ▁and ▁support ▁services , ▁child ▁dis ability ▁services ▁and ▁for ▁health ▁services ▁to ▁school ▁children ▁- ▁public ▁health ▁n urs es , ▁hearing ▁and ▁vision ▁testing , ▁school ▁dent al ▁services . ▁ ▁Health West , ▁a ▁private ▁primary ▁health ▁provider , ▁was ▁as ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁in ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁the ▁hospital ▁to ▁be ▁allowed ▁to ▁provide ▁fee - pay ing ▁patients ▁with ▁medical ▁services ▁in ▁the ▁hospital . ▁While ▁this ▁proposed ▁measure ▁did ▁not ▁go ▁forward ▁as ▁of ▁mid - 2 0 0 7 , ▁it ▁highlight ed ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁even ▁after ▁the ▁N Z $ 6 0 ▁million ▁upgrad ing ▁to ▁general ▁hospital ▁status , ▁the ▁facility ▁was ▁still ▁facing ▁short ages , ▁like ▁many ▁other ▁public ▁health ▁facilities ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand . ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁five ▁months ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁the ▁emer gency ▁department ▁of ▁the ▁hospital ▁was ▁forced ▁into ▁partial ▁closure ▁ 5 2 ▁times , ▁and ▁has ▁still ▁not ▁officially ▁become ▁a ▁ 2 4 / 7 ▁facility . ▁This ▁is ▁being ▁bl amed ▁on ▁short - st aff ing ▁and ▁financial ▁constraints ▁of ▁the ▁Wa item ata ▁District ▁Health ▁Board . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁Wa item ata ▁District ▁Health ▁Board