Nelson Hospital rebuild still ‘priority’ despite changes

Wednesday, 8 May 2024

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith says he has been reassured changes to the long-awaited rebuild of Nelson Hospital will address a shortfall of beds and seismic issues at the facility.

But Smith reserved judgement on whether the new plan - for “a series of smaller builds” instead of a large acute services building - was the right approach for the ageing hospital, pending a full briefing from Health New Zealand.

The Crown agency on Monday revealed it had switched tack on the hospital development after reviewing “lessons learned across major health projects”.

Health New Zealand head of infrastructure delivery Blake Lepper said the plan now involved a phased approach for prioritised builds, that “bring forward the required health service benefits” and meet “the market capacity for construction.”

The Labour Party believed changing the plan would cut front line health services.

Last year, Cabinet signed off a $1.1 billion plan that included a new acute service and inpatient building by 2031, with then Health Minister, Labour’s Ayesha Verrall saying the hospital was “desperately in need of replacement”.

Verrall on Tuesday said Health New Zealand/Te Whatu Ora chose that development option, advising that further review of options would only save costs if the clinical capacity of the building was reduced.

“National needs to come clean and state whether they have been advised otherwise, or whether this is just yet another cost cutting exercise.”

Nelson MP, Labour’s Rachel Boyack said a “discounted renovation or downscaled rebuild will not give Nelson, Blenheim and Tasman the hospital that these places deserve”.

“We need to keep up with the region’s growing and ageing population by future-proofing Nelson’s health network, providing accessible, quality health services for the community.”

Health Minister Shane Reti said in a statement to the Nelson Mail that the Government was “absolutely committed to the people of Nelson Marlborough and delivering a hospital that provides the best possible healthcare.”

He said the Nelson Hospital rebuild was still in its planning phase and no decisions had been made about the final design.

“Upgrading our health infrastructure is a priority. I am very supportive of thinking that takes lessons from past projects and brings forward builds we can deliver on quicker and in a more financially responsible way, to deliver benefits to communities sooner.”

Nelson Hospital’s last major upgrade was 20 years ago, and plans for a redevelopment have been discussed for at least 14 years.

In 2020, one of the hospital’s two main tower blocks, the George Manson building, was rated as the worst clinical facility in the country in a Government stocktake of hospital buildings.

The hospital’s other main block, the Percy Brunette building was also earthquake prone, with a shortfall of hospital beds another long-running issue.

Last year, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora said the hospital needed 34 more beds to meet demand, and was expected to need 52 by 2027/28.

The $1.1 billion plan would have resulted in 255 beds instead of the current 161, eight operating theatres instead of six, and an emergency department double the existing size.

Mayor Nick Smith said the advice he had from Health New Zealand was that they believed the phased approach would enable them to deliver more beds sooner.

The new plan could also help ensure a deadline for seismic strengthening of hospital buildings was met by November 2028, he said.

“We know from the Dunedin hospital rebuild that the single big development programme has been delayed multiple times, and the programme has been stretched out over 12 years.

“Nelson can’t wait for 12 years before we’ve got additional beds, and to have those seismic issues addressed.”

Smith was due to receive a full briefing from Health New Zealand on the new development plan later this month.

“I want to hear the detail of that, to be able to be reassured that we’re going to get better healthcare as a consequence.”