About the Canterbury Charity Hospital Trust

The Trust will provide specialist health care services to as many people in Canterbury as possible who have health care needs that they cannot access through the public health system and cannot afford private health care. It will only address the unmet needs and not compete with either the public or private health care systems.

The Trust will be funded by charitable giving from the Canterbury and wider communities, and will continue only as long as that support is adequate to sustain it. It will neither accept funding from government sources, nor supply clinical services for financial gain.

All services will be provided by volunteers with the support of a minimal number of employees. The standard of health care will, in all instances, equal or exceed that expected of the public health system.

A utilitarian approach will be followed with services being provided to as many individuals as possible within the available resources (the greatest good for the greatest number). The services provided will change with time in an effort to keep in step with the changing unmet health care needs of the community.

The Trust will pursue sound, transparent financial practices, and exercise good stewardship of its resources.

It will always remain true to The Enduring Vision and keep faith with community supporters as a charity hospital, with the single purpose of serving the unmet health care needs of the community, have the word ‘Charity’ in the hospital name and be staffed by volunteers.

If adequate charitable giving is not sustained the hospital will close and The Trust will be wound up. It will never be turned into a business and depart from The Enduring Vision as has happened to other formerly charitable health care institutions.

There is a moral imperative and a professional responsibility to address the unmet health care needs in the community we have the honour to serve.