Government agrees on preferred design for new Dunedin Hospital

Minister of Health Chris Hipkins says Cabinet has approved in principle the detailed business case for the new hospital, giving people in the Southern region certainty and confidence in the design and ongoing progress


Devdiscourse News Desk | Wellington | Updated: 14-09-2020 07:43 IST | Created: 14-09-2020 07:43 IST
Government agrees on preferred design for new Dunedin Hospital
“The new Dunedin Hospital will transform healthcare across the Southern region delivering improved health outcomes for future generations,” says Chris Hipkins. Image Credit: ANI
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The Government has agreed on a preferred design for the new Dunedin Hospital featuring two separate buildings and has provided funding for the next stages of work.

Minister of Health Chris Hipkins says Cabinet has approved in principle the detailed business case for the new hospital, giving people in the Southern region certainty and confidence in the design and ongoing progress

“The new Dunedin Hospital will transform healthcare across the Southern region delivering improved health outcomes for future generations,” says Chris Hipkins.

“Cabinet has approved the design option which broadly aligns with the preliminary site masterplan – Outpatients on the Wilsons block and Inpatients on the Cadbury site. This will deliver a stronger separation of services and much needed day surgery capacity earlier than other options. It also provides excellent linkages to the health sciences division of the university and avoids overbearing the heritage area of the city.

“Cabinet agreed on the detailed business case in principle as it’s important the project maintains momentum and demolition and design milestones are reached. We’ve released $127 million to progress design, demolition, piling, project management and early contractor engagement.

“It’s expected the total budget for the project will now exceed $1.4 billion. This will be confirmed once concept design is finished and costings can be finalised. The final details of the business case are expected to go to Cabinet for approval by February 2021.

“It’s important we get this right. The new Dunedin Hospital will be world-class and the biggest ever hospital building in New Zealand. It will have improved clinical capacity and digital technology, and more integrated services to support new models of care.

“The new hospital is a huge opportunity to change healthcare in the region. The project will also be a significant boost to the local economy, offering many jobs and opportunities for local businesses,” said Chris Hipkins.

(With Inputs from New Zealand Government Press Release)

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