Source: New Zealand Labour Party
The next Labour Government will build a new hospital in Hawke’s Bay, Labour leader Chris Hipkins and Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall announced.
This is part of Labour’s long-term commitment to rebuild health infrastructure throughout the entire country. It follows commitments to build new Hospitals in Nelson and Whangarei, where work has begun, and our commitment to delivering a new hospital in Dunedin, where construction is well underway.
“Labour inherited a health system suffering from years of underinvestment with many hospitals unable to provide the world class health services that New Zealanders deserve,” Labour leader Chris Hipkins said.
“Since 2017, this Government has invested nearly $45 billion in health, including a 771 percent increase in health infrastructure.
“A new hospital in Hawke’s Bay will be just the latest commitment Labour has made to New Zealanders health.”
“The current hospital in Hastings, built in 1927, is no longer fit for purpose and has seismic resilience issues,” Labour’s Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said.
“At a cost of between $700m and $1.1 billion, the new hospital will be fully funded in Labour’s fiscal plan over the next decade.
“The business case will begin in Labour’s first 100 days.
“The community will be a key partner in the rebuild and today we are announcing the news that Hawkes’ Bay wants to hear: that it will be funded.”
“Building a new hospital will be the single greatest infrastructure project for the Hawkes’ Bay region,” MP for Tukituki Anna Lorck said
“I am thrilled that a re-elected Labour Government will deliver a new hospital for the people of Hawkes’ Bay. I made this a priority when I became an MP and I have advocated for this every day since.”
Work is already underway to upgrade facilities at the existing hospital to ensure the needs of the Hawkes Bay community can continue to be met over the next decade.
“This includes $68 million for the radiology facilities redevelopment, an expansion of surgical services and an angiography suite replacement,” Ayesha Verrall said.
“Work is also underway already on a district-wide clinical services plan to ensure needs can be met now and well into the future – this will feed into the new hospital project.
“I am proud of the massive rebuild programme Labour has underway to improve our hospitals, build new ones, and upgrade our health infrastructure.
“We simply cannot risk the Coalition of Cuts taking us back to a time where front line services were neglected, workers pay in real terms went backwards, and sewage ran down the walls of hospitals,” Ayesha Verrall said.
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