The Whanganui District Health Board (Whanganui DHB or WDHB) was a district health board that provided healthcare to the Wanganui, Rangitikei, and parts of the Ruapehu districts of New Zealand. In July 2022, it was merged into the national health service

Te Whatu Ora Te Whatu Ora, or Health New Zealand, is a public health agency established by the New Zealand Government to replace the country's 20 district health boards (DHBs) on 1 July 2022. Te Whatu Ora is charged with working alongside the Public Healt ...

(Health New Zealand).

History

The Whanganui District Health Board, like most other district health boards, came into effect on 1 January 2001 established by the

New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

. On 1 July 2022, the Whanganui DHB and the other 19 district health boards were disestablished, with

(Health New Zealand) assuming their former functions and operations including hospitals and health services. The Waikato DHB was brought under Te Whatu Ora's Central division.

Geographic area

The area covered by the Whanganui District Health Board was defined in Schedule 1 of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 and based on territorial authority and ward boundaries as constituted as at 1 January 2001. The area could have been adjusted through an

Order in Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' Ki ...

Governance

The initial board was fully appointed. Since the 2001 local elections, the board had been partially elected (seven members) and in addition, up to four members get appointed by the Minister of Health. The minister also appoints the chairperson and deputy-chair from the pool of eleven board members.

Demographics

Whanganui DHB served a population of 64,599 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...

, an increase of 4,479 people (7.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 2,388 people (3.8%) since the

2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

. There were 25,281 households. There were 31,731 males and 32,871 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.97 males per female. The median age was 42.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 13,068 people (20.2%) aged under 15 years, 11,142 (17.2%) aged 15 to 29, 27,807 (43.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 12,579 (19.5%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 78.5% European/Pākehā, 27.4% Māori, 4.0% Pacific peoples, 3.7% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 12.2, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 48.0% had no religion, 37.1% were Christian, 0.6% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.4% were Buddhist and 5.6% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 6,918 (13.4%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 12,087 (23.5%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $25,100, compared with $31,800 nationally. 4,983 people (9.7%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 22,812 (44.3%) people were employed full-time, 7,788 (15.1%) were part-time, and 2,412 (4.7%) were unemployed.

Hospitals

Public hospitals

* Whanganui Hospital () in Gonville,

Whanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whangan ...

has 172 beds and provides children's health, maternity, surgical, medical, geriatric and mental health services.

Private hospitals

* Taihape Health () in

Taihape Taihape is in the Rangitikei District of the North Island of New Zealand. It serves a large rural community. State Highway 1, which runs North to South through the centre of the North Island, passes through the town. History and culture Early ...

Rangitikei District The Rangitikei District is a territorial authority district located primarily in the Manawatū-Whanganui region in the North Island of New Zealand, although a small part, the town of Ngamatea (13.63% by land area), lies in the Hawke's Bay Regio ...

has two beds and provides maternity services. * Belverdale Hospital () in Whanganui Central,

has 15 beds and provides surgical services. * Hospice Wanganui () in Otamatea,

has five beds and provides medical services.

Notes

References

* {{District health boards District health boards in New Zealand Manawatū-Whanganui 2001 establishments in New Zealand 2022 disestablishments in New Zealand