Woodhouse questions hospital size again

Size is one thing but the services offered outside the new Dunedin hospital will be the key its success, National Dunedin list MP Michael Woodhouse says.

• Hospital business case now released 

‘‘The important thing is that it does the job, and it won’t be as big as the linear growth in population so we need to keep people out of hospital,’’ he said.

‘‘There are no concrete plans for how we are going to do that.

‘‘We don’t know if more resources are going to be put into places like Central Otago, whether a South Dunedin hub will be established, all things which had been discussed as being needed alongside a hospital of that size.’’

Mr Woodhouse has regularly crossed swords with Southern District Health Board chairman Pete Hodgson about whether the new hospital will be big enough.

Mr Hodgson could not be contacted last night, but has previously said the eventual size of the hospital would be fit for purpose.