What is your background?

• Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, the University of Leicester
• PhD in Medical Science from The University of Birmingham
• Specialist training in Nephrology, West Midlands Deanery
• Moved from the UK to Hawke’s Bay in 2012 to a role with HBDHB as the Clinical Lead for the Renal Unit
• Medical Director of the Acute Services at the HBDHB in 2016 to 2018
• Chief Operating Officer at HBDHB 2018 to 2019

This is not the first time Colin has led the development of a new medical facility in Hawke’s Bay. He led the development of the Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s renal unit and then the new medical centre on Canning Road.

From experience Colin says there’s lots of moving parts to leading the development of a new healthcare facility. However it’s an incredibly exciting opportunity to build a modern facility from concept through to securing funding, turning the soil and seeing the facility emerging from the ground.

“It’s incredibly exciting to start with a vision of improving the wellbeing of our community, starting with a blank piece of paper and working with an awesome team.”

That includes a highly capable project manager, Nick Ward, a hard-working construction team from Gemco and a dedicated support team at Kaweka Health that will steadily grow as we lead up to opening in 2022.

Colin says the motivation for creating Kaweka Health is to provide more people in Hawke’s Bay with easy access to high quality healthcare. Currently a key block to the provision of healthcare is the lack of healthcare facilities in the Bay and that is why we have focused on new facilities first. Ultimately good facilities allow more clinical teams and in turn this allows more patient care.

“We will have capacity to do 5000 – 7000 operations a year, that can be done at the right time and at the right place, so Hawke’s Bay people don’t face long delays or are forced to go outside of the region for much needed surgical care.”

“Our aim is to treat people quicker so that they have the opportunity to return to living a better quality of life and in many instances getting back to work.

Colin says Kaweka Health would still be just an idea if it wasn’t for some very passionate Hawke’s Bay clinicians who have been joined by a group of local investors, all wanting to make a positive difference to the health and well-being of the local community.

The next few years will be incredibly busy for Colin and his team but he wants to ensure there is some balance spending time enjoying the outdoors with wife, Miriam and their three children Eleanor, Katherine and Jonathan.

He says it’s the diversity of people in Hawke’s Bay, and the many natural attributes – climate, natural environment – beaches, rivers, recreational parks and sport facilities that drew the Hutchison’s to Hawke’s Bay and he is looking forward to recruiting new team members, that also want to enjoy everything the region has to offer.

“The region is large enough to offer everything that people desire such as great schools, variety in retail and hospitality offerings, as well as an amazing natural environment to enjoy.

“It’s a great place to raise a family and we hope that we can attract medical practitioners and support staff that want to grow with the facility and be part of the community for 20 years or more.