Monday 23 February 2015: We are all in this together Another anniversary of the February 2011 quake has been and gone and it’s remarkable how much our region has changed in such a short time. In many ways the city is starting to get back on its feet. Hosting the opening ceremony of the Cricket World Cup here in Christchurch is testament to how much things have progressed. Next month the national kapa haka festival Te Matatini could bring even more visitors to our city. On the health system front there are also lots of signs of progress – such as the recent opening of the new interim Children's Haematology and Oncology Centre (CHOC), the rate of construction at Burwood and Christchurch hospitals, and our rapid adoption of new community based models of care. It is also promising to see the support for the Antigua Street footbridge being put in place (see over page). But we’re not there yet. There are lots of people still struggling to come to grips with what we’ve gone through, and there are reminders everywhere that many parts of our region are still broken. All Right’s? latest research shows that while some of us are now coping better, the mental health and wellbeing of those with unsettled insurance and EQC claims is a major area of concern. Not surprisingly, it is those with unsettled claims that are more likely to report that their current living situation is getting them down and that life is worse than before the quakes. But there are also some sad and perhaps unexpected findings, like the fact they report more health issues, argue with their partner more and experience more financial problems. It will come as no surprise to people living in Canterbury that our mental health services continue to be stretched to the limit. We are experiencing unprecedented increases - a 30% increase in adults, more than 50% increase in child and youth, and a 37% increase in emergency mental health presentations. These increases are not being experienced by other DHBs and are unique to Canterbury. Four years on there’s still lots of people out there doing it hard. If you know people who are struggling – and it’s not only those with unsettled claims finding it hard – please reach out to them and give them your support. We are all in this together after all. It was great to see our health system's community falls reduction programme mentioned in a speech by the finance minister last week. It's another initiative that is better for patients and cost effective. I'll talk more about this next week. Have a great week David Above: The River of Flowers commemoration was held again on the fourth anniversary of the February 22 earthquake. From left, Nick Walls who was rescued from the Pyne Gould Corporation building, David Meates and Evan Smith from the Avon-Otakaro Network (AvON).
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