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STACY SQUIRES / THINGS / Things
Medical specialists say the government should commit to the full development of the new Waipapa building at Christchurch Hospital, left.
The government will spend another $ 154 million for improvements to the $ 525 million acute services building at Christchurch Hospital.
But the indebted Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) must fund repairs to the hospital’s aging facilities.
Health Minister Andrew Little announced on Friday that cash had been approved for a third tower of the new building, known as Waipapa, which opened earlier this month.
The building was planned with four towers, but only two have been built.
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Medical specialists have been calling for the two additional towers to be built. They want the construction of tower three, with six floors of rooms, within five years, and a tower four added soon after.
Alden Williams / Stuff
Christchurch Hospital has outdated facilities along with new buildings.
Little said the government would equip the third tower with just 64 of its 160 planned patient beds.
“Like all DHBs in the country, Canterbury faces a growing demand for services. It is important that DHB is able to plan ahead to ensure that New Zealanders continue to receive the high quality care they need in the future, ”he said.
The region’s “growing and aging population” meant that more inpatient beds were needed. They would be provided in stages, as not all were required immediately, Little said.
He also announced that the CDHB had agreed to self-fund the most urgent $ 21 million of work needed to upgrade the Parkside hospital building.
STACY SHIELDS
The new Christchurch Hospital Hagley will be the largest hospital building on the South Island.
“More work is needed to confirm the scope and costs of the entire project. DHB will work with the Ministry of Health to refine the project before submitting a final revised business case, ”Little said.
Parkside districts are expected to be needed for at least another 10 years, due to faster-than-expected population growth.
Documents released this week under the Official Information Act after a complaint to the Ombudsman revealed that last year the Health Ministry spent money set aside to restore dated Parkside districts to reach a $ 13.8 million settlement with the contractor. main for the development of Waipapa.
Disagreements over the hospital’s current financial shortfall and the provision of facilities this year have already led to the resignation of the board’s chief executive, David Meates, and other top executives.
ALDEN WILLIAMS / STUFF / Stuff
Canterbury’s “growing and aging population” means more inpatient beds are needed.
Meates said Friday that she preferred not to comment on Little’s ads.
Little also said that in a meeting with the board in Christchurch on Friday, “he reassured the board and senior leaders that DHB needs to continue to improve its financial sustainability, which will enable and support future redevelopment projects.”
She also met with representatives from trade unions, including the Public Services Association, the New Zealand Nurses Organization (NZNO) and Etū.
The NZNO nurses went on strike earlier this month as part of their fight for pay parity with the district health board nurses.
WAIPAPA DELAY SCHEDULE AND LACK OF BUDGET
- 2013: Cabinet approves a budget of $ 455 million to build the new Waipapa Hospital, $ 21 million to renovate Parkside, and a partial contribution of $ 15 million for the outpatient building.
- 2016 – Australian contractor CPB begins construction of Waipapa with completion date of July 2018.
- 2017: Joint Ministers approve an increase of $ 18 million to re-equip two districts and the bridge link between Waipapa and Parkside, and $ 19.7 million to add high-level seismic reinforcement.
- December 2018: The Ministry of Health agrees to settle with CPB for $ 13.8 million to avoid going to court and expedite the completion of Waipapa by May 2019.
- February 2019: Ministers of Health and Finance allow the Ministry of Health to take $ 13 million from Parkside’s remodeling budget to pay for the deal, and $ 7 million from a lower expense in the outpatient building for additional costs to complete Waipapa.
- July 2020: Waipapa’s actual completion date at a total cost of $ 525 million – $ 70 million over its initial budget.
- November 2020 – Staff and patients move to Waipapa while others remain at Parkside.
