Selwyn Times: July 24, 2019

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Wednesday July 24 2019 7
News
Grieving father runs for
CDHB to ‘change it from the inside’
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding
FOR NEARLY two years, Geoff
Booth has been battling to get
answers from health authorities
after losing his 21-year-old son
Liam to a suspected suicide.
“It is like I am banging my
head against a brick wall and
no one is listening or being
accountable for their actions or
inactions,” he said.
The ongoing saga has
prompted the Greendale resident
to put his name forward to run
for the Canterbury District
Health Board in the October
local body elections.
“If I can’t change it (the health
system) from the outside, maybe
I can change it from the inside,”
Mr Booth said.
If he is elected onto the board,
Mr Booth hopes to focus on
mental health and raising
awareness about suicide.
Last month police statistics
revealed 4369 attempted suicide
events in Canterbury were
reported in 2018, up 59 per cent
from 2015.
Mr Booth said if he can stop
one young person from doing
what Liam did, he will have done
a good job.
“From my point of view, I had
CHALLENGE:
Geoff Booth,
who lost his son
Liam (above)
to a suspected
suicide in 2017,
will now run for
the Canterbury
District Health
Board in
the October
elections.
skin in the game and lost it in
the form of Liam . . . I have got
a life experience that I never
thought I would ever have,” he
said.
Mr Booth wants to ensure
grieving families get the support
they need following a suicide.
In 2017, he laid a complaint
with the CDHB after Liam was
found dead in Beckenham Park,
near his flat, on October 2.
PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER
The case is still before the
coroner.
Eighteen days before his death,
Liam had threatened to harm
himself at Halswell Quarry Park.
He was taken to Christchurch
Hospital by police for assessment
and then he was discharged.
Mr Booth told the CDHB
hospital staff wrongly discharged
Liam and took his word he
wasn’t going to harm himself.
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Last year Selwyn Times
reported the CDHB undertook a
serious event review to identify
opportunities to improve its
systems and processes.
The review said there was clear
documentation as to why admission
to hospital under the Mental
Health Act was not thought to
be appropriate. It said Liam was
opposed to his admission and
the clinical opinion was not
to forcibly admit him. But Mr
Booth said the CDHB has not
been “accountable”.
“There was an opportunity
to actually put in place a
wraparound service for Liam
because Liam just lied to them. I
knew that was what Liam would
do to try and get himself out of
the situation he had got himself
into,” he said.
About three months ago, Mr
Booth approached the Health
and Disability Commissioner
service in Christchurch to seek
advice on making a formal
complaint.
Over the next month, he
plans to lodge a complaint with
the Crown entity, which is
responsible for protecting the
rights of people who use health
and disability services.
Commuters get
new park and
rides in Rolleston
TWO NEW park and ride
facilities have opened in
Rolleston.
Foster Park is home to one
of them, and will offer people
the ability to catch the No 85
express bus service into the city.
The other is at a newly
constructed car park off
Norman Kirk Drive adjacent to
the district council office. From
here, users can connect to the
No 85, Yellow Line and No 820
bus services.
There is 79 parking spaces
and six cycle racks. Parking
is free for people using a bus
services.
Said Environment
Canterbury manager of public
transport Edward Wright:
“We’re really pleased to see such
a great park and ride facility
now available for Rolleston
residents, along with the option
to also park at Foster Park.
Having park and ride options
helps to make public transport
a more accessible travel choice
for more of the community.”
The entrance to the park
and ride at Foster Park is on
Broadlands Drive.
ADVERTORIAL
New-look food court to
enhance customer experience
Always aiming to provide an enjoyable and diverse shopping
experience for its customers, the popular Westfield shopping
centre in Riccarton is enhancing that experience with a facelift for
its food court.
Comprising 10 outlets with a variety of food choices, the whole
food court area is now lighter, brighter and more open, while the
addition of lush greenery, and the new improved seating layout
have been designed to create a more relaxed fast/casual eating
environment.
“We are delighted to showcase our new-look food court to our
community,” centre manager Kirstie McNulty says.
She invites customers to join in the celebrations marking the
launch of the upgraded food court, which kick off on Thursday
evening, July 25. More FM will be on site, along with the Winning
Wheel giving customers the chance to win exciting prizes.
The entertainment will also include face painting, music and
action entertainment, waiters with food sampling and balloon
twisting. The celebrations will continue throughout the evening
on Friday, July 26, August 1 and 2, and August 8 and 9, with face
painting, balloon twisting, entertainment and giveaways.
The food court is not the only place to enjoy a bite at Westfield,
however – there are more than 30 eating places located around
the centre, all under one roof. These combined with the major
retailers, fashion brands and numerous other specialty stores give
customers the opportunity to enjoy true one-stop shopping at
Westfield, with something there for the whole family. Extensive,
easily accessible free parking adds to the convenience.
The food court renovations are a follow-on from the previous
upgrading work that was carried out some 18 months ago at the
centre and included painting of the whole interior and the addition
of comfort zones and plantings, Ms McNulty says.