State Highway 6 is expected to close for seven weeks for flood repairs. Photo: Supplied / Waka Kotahi
Te Whatu Ora Nelson Marlborough expects most staff to travel by road between Nelson and Blenheim while State Highway 6 is closed for emergency flood repairs.
Huge underslips - one of which was two storeys high - were among five sites in need of urgent repair, which could take seven weeks.
Nelson Mayor-elect Nick Smith initiated a flight service between Nelson and Blenheim with Originair after health staff expressed concerns about how they would maintain full services during the closure.
More than 40 Te Whatu Ora Nelson Marlborough staff travel between Nelson and Blenheim each week.
Originair are flying between Nelson and Blenheim to help people affected by the highway closure. Photo: Supplied / Originair
Te Whatu Ora Nelson Marlborough district director Lexie O'Shea said it expected most staff would use existing travel options, taking a shuttle and using fleet cars and use the State Highway 63 detour through Kawatiri Junction.
She said that would add between 30 and 40 minutes to the trip for most staff.
Where clinically appropriate, services will be utilising telehealth or virtual consults during the road closure, reducing the need for travel.
O'Shea said flights may be used to maximise the availability of a staff member with specialist expertise to maintain its levels of service for patient clinics.
The organisation was discussing the option of using flights with Originair and expected health professionals would take a number of seats on the flight on a regular basis.
Originair would run a morning and evening return air service between Nelson and Blenheim, with a flight time of 20 minutes, to help people affected by the closure of SH6.
Flights would cost $89 for a standard one-way fare or $99 for a flexifare that was changeable and refundable.
