Key points:
- The Government is seeking advice on two options to deliver the new Dunedin Hospital project.
- Labour say the Government’s attempt to placate the people of Dunedin “has fallen short”.
- Dunedin’s mayor says the community is “outraged”, with a march planned for Saturday.
Dunedin’s mayor says the community is “absolutely outraged” following the announcement of the Government’s proposed new options for the new Dunedin Hospital project.
It follows a report released yesterday commissioned by the Government which found current plans could not be delivered within the current appropriated budget of $1.88 billion.
Two options are now on the table — to reduce the number of floors and delay the fit-out of some areas until they’re needed at the new site, or a staged development at the old site.
Ministers Chris Bishop and Shane Reti have warned if the cost of the project is not reduced, much-needed upgrades to other regional hospitals such as Whangārei, Nelson, Hawke’s Bay, Palmerston North and Tauranga could be at risk.
Bishop said: “In fact, despite the project’s original 2017 cost estimates of $1.2 – $1.4 billion, it’s now possible it could approach $3 billion, which would make it one of the most expensive hospitals ever built in the Southern Hemisphere.”
Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich told Breakfast the community were “absolutely outraged” by what had been proposed.
“This Government made a firm election promise that they would build this hospital, to the specifications of the business plan, and now they’re looking to renege on that.”
“The public are absolutely outraged by this, and they are marching this Saturday.”
Radich said he “did not accept at all” the Government’s estimation that costs had blown out to $3 billion.
“The pricing has only just been raised. They have increased the pricing to $1.88 billion and I believe they can do it for that. What they need is some creative construction management.”
He called on the Government to “keep their promise” to fund the hospital without clinical cuts.
New Zealand Nurses Organisation president Anne Daniels said the building was “heaving” with people and proposing a smaller hospital was not going to work.
“I don’t think both ministers that made the announcement yesterday have done their homework, because they’ve proposed exactly the opposite of what was put in the original business case.”
“We haven’t got enough beds, and we haven’t got enough nurses and doctors to look after them. Proposing a smaller hospital is not going to do it. Using the current facility and upgrading it was crossed off the option list a long time ago.
“It means that people are going to die waiting, and that is unacceptable.”
Daniels said a third of patients served by Dunedin Hospital came from rural hospitals, and the downgrade would have a “major impact” on the whole region.