A plan to build a private hospital at Frankton is in doubt because of the Southland District Health Board's (SDHB) proposal to redevelop Lakes District Hospital at Frankton.
Southern Cross Hospital, Skin Institute Queenstown, the Queenstown Medical Centre and Remarkables Park Ltd were granted resource consent last March for a hospital and medical centre, including four operating theatres, a day surgery unit, recovery rooms and an accident and emergency centre.
Southern Cross Hospitals chief executive Terry Moore said the proposed development was on hold because Southern Cross was hoping to be contracted to provide elective surgery at the district health board's proposed integrated family health care centre on the Lakes District Hospital site.
The SDHB is seeking feedback from the community on its proposal to redevelop Lakes District Hospital and create an integrated family healthcare centre housing a range of private healthcare providers.
"We have been waiting for the Southland District Health Board to come up with this document.
"What this paper says is there is a potential option for elective surgery on the Lakes District Hospital site. That would be an option for us."
If the group secured the contract to provide elective surgery at the integrated family healthcare centre, it would not build its development.
"You need private and public volumes on one site.
"We wouldn't get enough private volumes to make it financially viable. We would need to be contracted to do public volumes."
Mr Moore said he would be talking to the SDHB about the proposals.
"The DHB hasn't engaged with us. We will talk to them about the need to evaluate options. We have resource consent for a facility with both GPs providing primary care and elective surgery. The DHB is proposing something quite similar. We need more clarity to know what sort of elective surgery the DHB is prepared to contract for."
The future of the private hospital would depend on what direction the SDHB decided to pursue.
"Southern Cross, as a not-for-profit organisation, is a good potential partner for the DHB. We remain keen to be part of the solution for the Queenstown area," Mr Moore said.
"We will be putting in a submission and expressing interest in working with the DHBs and local GPs."
Queenstown Medical Centre director Hans Raetz said he was very interested in being involved as a provider within the new facility because there was not enough space in Queenstown for separate providers.
Submissions on the SDHB's proposal close April 23.
Public meetings will be held at the Queenstown Memorial Hall on Tuesday.
