A Queenstown health clinic has been placed in voluntary liquidation, leaving hundreds of patients stranded.<\/p>\n
Queenstown Health Ltd\u2019s new owner suddenly stopped trading last week and last Friday put the company into voluntary liquidation.<\/p>\n
The business offered chiropractic services, physiotherapy, massage therapy and acupuncture.<\/p>\n
In a statement, chiropractor Cole Mackie, who took over the health clinic early this year from longtime owner Neki Patel, apologised to patients but said he could not keep the doors open.<\/p>\n
“After conducting a full review of the business, I formed the view that continuing to trade was untenable.<\/p>\n
“I took the step of placing the company into voluntary liquidation following an extensive review. It was the right thing to do.<\/p>\n
“I am now co-operating with the liquidator. The clinical notes and medical records are held securely.<\/p>\n
“I do not intend to comment further.”<\/p>\n
Auckland-based liquidator Bryan Williams confirmed he was in Queenstown when Queenstown Health was placed in liquidation last week.<\/p>\n
He said he was limited in what he could say.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019m conducting the liquidation process and I don\u2019t have any comment until I get a clearer [picture] and fuller facts.”<\/p>\n
His first report is due out tomorrow.<\/p>\n
One staff member who left two months ago said they had seen the closure coming when they left, but was surprised by the timing.<\/p>\n
“From what I heard from other patients there has been no communication, but that\u2019s all I know.”<\/p>\n
In the past, Mr Mackie has commented on how grateful he was to Dr Patel for encouraging him to buy into his business, starting with a 49% shareholding in April last year.<\/p>\n
He told\u00a0QT Magazine\u00a0last December: “Neki is an incredibly good chiropractor with an excellent understanding of how this business runs, ensuring all our clinicians share the same core values.<\/p>\n
“His mentorship has been invaluable throughout this transition and changeover and he will continue to be a guiding light working in the business.”<\/p>\n
Dr Patel resigned from the clinic in September ahead of knee surgery.<\/p>\n
He said the demise of Queenstown Health, first established in 1983 before he took it over a decade later, was “really saddening”, but could not comment further.<\/p>\n
In a Facebook post after the clinic doors were shut last week, he said he was fully focused on recovery and planned to return to work when he was “100% fit”.<\/p>\n
“My thoughts are with the many patients affected and with the staff who worked so hard to support the community.”<\/p>\n