5. PAUL QUINN (National) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
What decisions have been made by the Government in relation to hospital building developments?
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) Link to this
In 2008 the previous Government approved the redevelopment of Hutt Hospital campus—under consistent and highly effective political pressure, I remind those members—subject to final ministerial approval of the preliminary design. Today the National Government can announce that further approval, and Hutt Valley District Health Board can now progress the $82 million redevelopment of Hutt Hospital’s emergency department and theatres. This approval includes a $62 million contribution from central government, and we funded this commitment despite the fact that we inherited over $600 million of capital requests from district health boards with only a small amount of money to pay for them.
When will the people of the Hutt Valley area see the benefits of this necessary and important investment?
It is well recognised that the Hutt Valley emergency department is inadequate and access to elective surgery there needs to be improved. The full project is expected to be completed and operational in 2012. In the meantime, the district health board has built its own temporary and innovative “theatre pods”, as it calls them, to provide more elective surgery for Hutt Valley people.
What other decisions has the Government made in relation to hospital services for people in the Hutt Valley and Wellington region?
I have advised the House before that the new Government inherited a health sector on track to financial crisis with over $600 million of capital demands for regional projects. The Capital and Coast District Health Board’s underlying deficit of around $70 million is a significant issue, and it is clear to me that the previous Government did not sufficiently factor in the interest and capital charges associated with the enormous borrowings required for the regional hospital. I can today advise that the Government has agreed to pump a total of $53 million of health cash into Capital and Coast District Health Board as deficit support for the current financial year. This will ensure the ongoing viability of important hospital services in Wellington as we work to tidy up yet another mess inherited from the previous Government.
Mr SPEAKER