Southlanders can celebrate this weekend after news from the new Health Minister Simeon Brown that the Dunedin Hospital rebuild is back on track.
Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark was invited to the meeting to hear the news this morning with Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich, Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher, Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds and Health New Zealand advisors.
All 11 floors of the inpatient hospital would be constructed with capacity for future years as well - but the bed numbers are slightly less than the original plan (from 398 down to 351).
Upon opening, the new Dunedin Hospital will provide:
- 351 beds, with capacity to expand to 404 beds over time
- 20 short-stay surgical beds, a new model of care
- 22 theatres, with capacity to expand to 24 theatres over time
- 41 same day beds to provide greater capacity for timely access to specialist and outpatient procedures
- 58 ED spaces, including a short-stay unit and specialised emergency psychiatric care
- 20 imaging units for CT, MRI and Xray procedures, with 4 additional spaces available for future imaging advancement.
Mayor Clark said it was great news for Southland because the community didn’t have access to all of the same services at its own hospital, particularly with the level of specialists Dunedin could provide, and possibly never would have.
“Having that backup in Dunedin is absolutely paramount.”
The outpatient building was also still on track to be completed next year.
Mayor Clark said the news from Government just showed how passionate local communities were about the rebuild, particularly after the 35,000 people march in Dunedin last year.
He said there were an awful lot of people in rural areas in Southland and Otago that have used the air rescue services, and who realised just how hugely important tertiary care was.
Work on the Dunedin Hospital project began in 2017, but the inpatient building was paused on the site of the former Cadbury building last year over cost concerns.
A report in September warned the project costs could snowball to $3 billion, and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on a visit to the south a month later, they were only prepared to spend $1.9 billion, and would have to scale it back or refurbish the existing one.
MP Penny Simmonds said the project will provide a world-class healthcare facility, ensuring the people of Invercargill and the southern region have access to timely, high-quality healthcare for generations to come.
“This forward-thinking approach guarantees that the hospital will be able to grow and adapt as the needs of the community change.
“We’ve worked closely with the Invercargill community and healthcare professionals to ensure the hospital is designed to meet both current and future needs. By staying on track and within budget, we’re giving the people of Invercargill certainty that this project will be delivered on time and with minimal disruption,” said.
The new facility will also be future proofed to accommodate additional services and expansion as needed.
“This ensures that the hospital will continue to be an integral part of the southern healthcare network for many years to come.
“With a focus on efficiency, quality, and long-term planning, this project reflects our unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of our community,” she said.
Mayor Clark has always said it was in the best interests of Invercargill to get behind the rebuild, because so much of its own hospital relied on the backup of Dunedin.
Further updates will be provided as the project progresses.