Media information For immediate release
Date: 13 March 2009

Expert In Elder Care Comes On Board

Phil Wood is the new clinical services leader for Health Waikato's Older Persons and Rehabilitation Services.

Dr Wood comes to Waikato with a wealth of knowledge in the sub-specialty of older people's health.

Dr Wood also works for Waitemata and Tairawhiti district health boards as a geriatrician and has his own North Shore practice The Memory Clinic, which specialises in older people's health and age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's. He is also the post-graduate director of Gerontology at the University of Auckland.

Dr Wood is part of the Health Waikato team which carried out a review of the Older Persons and Rehabilitation Services, writing a report that focused on a pending 98-bed Assessment Treatment and Rehabilitation precinct.

"As part of the review team, we realised that implementation of the recommendations was going to be quite a challenge with stretched resources, so I was asked to come on board as well," he said.

"It's a challenge I am really looking forward to."

Older Persons and Rehabilitation Services' acting group manager Barbara Garbutt said an ageing population brought with it the need to adequately plan for health service delivery.

"That's why we are so excited about Phil's appointment because his vast knowledge in this area is going to help us through a changeable and exciting time for the service, the ageing and elderly of this region."

Dr Wood said the focus of his two days work in the Waikato will be balanced between Waikato Hospital and working out in the community.

"People are important. Everybody's aim for this service is to make it community capable - not just hospital-centric, but patient-centric - where the community services available are maintained and enhanced out in the community.

"We want to make changes from clinical perspectives that serve the elders in the community in a positive way.

"The service and new building need to be responsive, capable and durable - to stand the test of time over the next 15 years or more."

Dr Wood studied medicine in Dunedin under Professor John Campbell. Following study, he carried out five years of research work in the United Kingdom before returning to New Zealand.

He has three sons aged 22-26 years, and he and his wife run an alpaca stud at Dairy Flat.

But in the Waikato, Dr Wood's aim for Older Person's and Rehabilitation Services is to maintain and enhance community support of older people.

"It sounds altruistic, but that is why we are all here at the end of the day."

ENDS