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Dunedin Hospital to start in Labour’s first term
Jacinda Ardern
Leader of the Opposition
MP for Mt Albert
25 August 2017
Dunedin Hospital to start in Labour’s first term
Labour will start construction on a new Dunedin Hospital in the city centre in Labour’s first term, says the Leader of the Opposition Jacinda Ardern.
“We will build the new hospital without a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and it will be rebuilt within existing funds.
“This is a project that is long overdue for Dunedin. The hospital at present is dangerous and unsafe for staff and patients. Most of the existing buildings would not survive a severe earthquake.
“Things are so bad that at the moment operations have to be delayed because of the leaks when it rains. Dunedin Hospital is no longer fit for purpose.
“We reject the idea of a PPP as they have a disastrous record in the United Kingdom. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has condemned them as ‘a millstone around the neck’ of the London health system. PPP contracts will only slow the construction process down.
“There is enough money in the Government’s capital spending allowance to build the hospital without a PPP.
“Labour will not build on the Wakari site but we want a central city site for the new hospital.
“With Labour’s approach we will have a new hospital as soon as possible and we will immediately form a group around the Southern DHB, the Ministry of Health, the Dunedin City Council, the Otago Regional Council and the University of Otago to agree on a vision for this hospital.
“We pledge that Dunedin Hospital will be rebuilt so that the people of Otago can get the healthcare they deserve,” says Jacinda Ardern.
Dunedin Hospital factsheet attached
Additional information
Since Jacinda Ardern has become Leader of the Opposition, she has announced the following key policies:
• Pay equity priority for mental health workers
• Canterbury child mental healthcare
• Rapid rail and Regional Transport
• Better housing for Palmerston North
A full list of Labour’s announced policies, including earlier announcements, can be found here: http://www.labour.org.nz/announced_policies
http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1708/Rebuilding_Dunedin_Hospital_factsheet.pdf
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