Dunedin's MPs have hit back at a government announcement of 140 new hospital beds in the health system — none of which are for the South.
Health Minister Simeon Brown made the announcement yesterday that the rapid-build projects would provide for 140 new beds nationwide at Middlemore, Waikato, Wellington and Nelson Hospitals, opening the same time as a new ward at Hawke’s Bay Hospital late next year.
But Dunedin misses out in this latest announcement.
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) head of infrastructure planning Aaron Matthews said the latest ward announcements were developed as an interim solution to capacity constraints for inpatient beds at these hospitals, "ahead of major redevelopments" planned to provide the sites with longer-term solutions.
"With the progression of the new Dunedin hospital inpatient building, Dunedin did not require such an interim infrastructure solution," he said.
"The current Dunedin hospital will benefit from the recently announced $20 million boost to increase frontline staffing in emergency departments ..."
Labour MP for Dunedin Rachel Brooking criticised the approach.
"The government’s track record is to scale back and delay hospital builds, as it has done with Dunedin hospital, which will cost New Zealanders more in the long run in terms of health and funding."
The government should have had a plan that ensured enough beds to manage the growing and ageing population, rather than cut Dunedin’s ICU and geriatric beds, Ms Brooking said.
"By leaving Dunedin out of yesterday’s announcement, Simeon Brown is kicking the can down the road for future governments to deal with," she said.
Labour MP for Taieri Ingrid Leary agreed.
"The makeshift structures Mr Brown has announced are hardly going to future-proof hospitals.
"Having said that, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon once again proves he doesn’t care about the lower South, given there is nothing in this announcement for the likes of Otago and Southland."
The new Dunedin hospital’s inpatients building is expected to open in 2031 at a cost of about $1.88 billion.
When Mr Brown made the announcement in January that the government was pressing ahead with the new hospital, he said there would be 371 beds upon opening compared with 430 beds in the business case — although many departments have capacity to expand over time, with the total capacity of 424 beds.
The Health Minister’s office declined to comment.
