Pahīatua Medical Centre, which suffered staff exodus sold to iwi

Tararua Health Group has reached an agreement to sell Pahīatua Medical Centre to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua Trust, with the change of ownership taking effect immediately, Omni Health says in a statement.

The decision followed months of turmoil at the medical centre with staff leaving the operation that served almost 5000 patients in the Tararua district. Many said they had left over safety concerns.

Health New Zealand had a review under way of the clinics owned by the Tararua Health Group, which is in turn owned by Omni Health - a network of about 17 practices around the country.

The decision to sell Pahīatua Medical Centre was made in the best interests of patients and the wider local community, with the primary objective of ensuring the continuity of safe, accessible and high-quality healthcare services, Omni Health founder and chief executive officer Mark Wills said in a statement on Monday.

Pahīatua Medical Centre would no longer form part of Tararua Health Group, and would transition to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua Trust over the coming weeks.

The medical centre suffered an exodus of staff on one day in October with seven staff, including a doctor and nurses leaving, having resigned in September, and saying they would not return if Omni Health continued to run the centre.

Wills said on Monday he recognised that the past few months had been challenging for many staff, particularly given the uncertainty and public attention surrounding some services.

"Throughout this period, our teams have continued to demonstrate professionalism, resilience and a genuine commitment to the communities we serve. I want to sincerely acknowledge and thank you for that," Wills said.