The Ministry of Health denies it was ever asked for extra funding by a disability and rehabilitation service that says it is being forced to close its doors for largely financial reasons. Laura Fergusson Rehabilitation offers residential and outpatient care including programmes for people living with disabilities and those affected by strokes, brain and spinal injury.
On Friday Checkpoint revealed Laura Fergusson Rehabilitation will be closing all services in Whanganui, Waikato and Auckland by August 2020.
The much lauded pay equity settlement is contributing to the demise of a decades old disability and rehabilitation service that's helped thousands of people.
Laura Fergusson Rehabilitation offers residential and out patient care including rehab programmes for people living with disabilities and those affected by strokes, brain and spinal injury.
Laura Fergusson Rehabilitation board spokesperson Rob Small said the trust asked the government for extra funding, but was told no.
"We have consistently asked the government to provide more funds for some of these services," he said.
He told Checkpoint the reason for the service's closure in Auckland, Waikato and Whanganui was "entirely financial".
But the Ministry of Health's Deputy Director-General Disability, Adri Isbister, told Checkpoint Laura Fergusson Rehabilitation did not ask for extra help and only told the Ministry of the planned closure after the decision was already made.
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