Momentum appears to be building for a new hospital in Hawke's Bay. Photo / NZME
A greenfield option for a new Hawke’s Bay Regional Hospital is on the table.
A recent letter from Hawke’s Bay’s mayors to the Minister of Health, which has been seen by Hawke’s Bay Today, says they would prefer a thorough investigation being done on the feasibility of a new site.
The idea of a new hospital was recently floated by Tukituki MP Anna Lorck, who said a business case was being developed for a $700 million to $1 billion spend on the facility.
Redeveloping the existing hospital in Hastings, or building a new one on land already part of the hospital’s footprint, come with challenges.
In the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, Lorck’s vision of the way forward includes major infrastructure projects, which would include a new hospital and potential health hubs around the region.
But Lorck’s suggestion a business case is under way came as a surprise to the mayors, judging by the letter.
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise, Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Alex Walker, Wairoa Mayor Craig Little and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chairwoman Hinewai Ormsby sent a joint letter last month to Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall seeking information on plans for a new hospital, as well as offering recommendations on how any decisions should be made.
Among the questions the mayors put to Verrall was whether the Te Whatu Ora executive team and Health Infrastructure Unit have indeed been asked to present a business case to Treasury by September, outlining health infrastructure plans for Hawke’s Bay.
Te Whatu Ora has since confirmed to Hawke’s Bay Today that preliminary work on assessing the need for a new hospital has begun, but no date had been set for any submission to Treasury.
“Progress is ongoing to complete a comprehensive Clinical Services Plan and subsequent Site Master Plan, the first step of many required before a business case can be presented,” Te Whatu Ora spokesman Ian Grant said.
“However, the development of respective business cases for the remediation of the current ED [Emergency Department] and ICU [Intensive Care Unit] facilities is currently under way with the expectation they will be submitted in time to be considered for Budget 2024.’'
Attempts to interview Wise and Hazlehurst on the future of health care in Hawke’s Bay and elaborate on the contents of their letter to Verrall have been unsuccessful.
Of particular interest is the greenfield scenario, which would see any new hospital built from scratch on a previously-unused site.
Where that might be, particularly considering the flooding that engulfed much of the Heretaunga Plains in February, will be an issue of some debate.
As will how a potential new site might better cater to residents of Napier.
Improved community health hubs are understood to have come up for discussion for those without easy access to Hastings.
The region’s mayors stated in the letter that they want to be fully engaged and consulted before any potential Te Whatu Ora business case is submitted to Treasury. Not least because of the potential $700m to $1b price tag.
There is a suggestion, given the scale of the rebuild required for Hawke’s Bay, that the mayors might prefer government funding of that magnitude be spent on other infrastructure projects.