Planning for a major hospital infrastructure spend for Hawke’s Bay is officially under way.
Te Whatu Ora – Te Matau a Māui Hawke’s Bay has confirmed, via social media and a press release, that the Government has now included Hawke’s Bay in its regional hospital redevelopment programme (RHRP).
Talk of a new hospital for Hawke’s Bay, or the refurbishment of the existing one in Hastings, has increased in recent weeks.
Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand has largely indicated that, while some initial feasibility work had taken place, speculation that a business case was being developed is premature.
But Te Aka Whai Ora regional director – central, Patrick Le Geyt, and Te Whatu Ora head of hospital and specialist services business partnering, Andrew Boyd, confirmed in a Te Whatu Ora – Te Matau a Māui Hawke’s Bay video the business case is now in the pipeline.
A clinical services plan is the first step, which will be followed by a site master plan for Hawke’s Bay Hospital. That process will involve public consultation.
Hawke’s Bay is at step one of the four-step process, which would culminate in either a redeveloped hospital or a new purpose-built one.
A group, led by former Hawke’s Bay District Health Board member Dan Druzianic, has already identified a potential greenfield site, for a new facility adjacent to the Hawke’s Bay Expressway. That site sits between Hastings and Flaxmere.
In the Te Whatu Ora – Te Matau a Māui Hawke’s Bay video, Le Geyt indicated the clinical services plan would consider the health needs of the entire region and whether the current site, on Omahu Rd, Hastings, remained the best location for the majority of services.
First published by HB Today. Click here to read the full article.