Dunedin will be getting a private hospital before the city\u2019s new public hospital opens.<\/p>\n
Director Colin Hutchison said the three-storey hospital specialising in general and elective surgery at Anzac Ave should be open by mid-2028.<\/p>\n
The projected opening for the $1.8 billion new Dunedin hospital\u2019s inpatients building is 2031.<\/p>\n
“There\u2019s going to be some overlap for sure,” Mr Hutchison said.<\/p>\n
“But the reason why we’re pushing ahead with this is because Dunedin has a gap in the private health sphere compared to other parts of the country.”<\/p>\n
Mr Hutchison expected the hospital, once complete, to serve more than 10,000 patients a year.<\/p>\n
“The idea started about a year ago with a consortium of Dunedin doctors.<\/p>\n
“They saw the need for expansion, and they’re keen to get something done.”<\/p>\n
The group planned to file the relevant consent applications before the end of the year, he said.<\/p>\n
“This is a big step forward, but it\u2019s worth remembering that more than 80% of all elective surgery is done through private healthcare with a lot of that funded by Health New Zealand [Te Whatu Ora] and ACC.”<\/p>\n
Board director and gynecologist Kate van Harselaar said the new private hospital would not be about competition but “co-operation” and working proactively to address “changing health environments”.<\/p>\n
“We know the demand for healthcare is outstripping supply in Dunedin, and we know there is a bottle-neck, so it\u2019s about us as a team looking for synergies in all activities.”<\/p>\n
The 0.39ha site is located a short distance from the University of Otago, Otago Polytechnic and Forsyth Barr Stadium, and had a 2022 capital valuation of $4.7million.<\/p>\n
A clinician by profession, Mr Hutchison launched private healthcare outfit Kaweka Health in Hawke\u2019s Bay.<\/p>\n
He had previously been chief operating officer of the Hawke\u2019s Bay District Health Board.<\/p>\n
“This is going to be a great asset for Dunedin. We will be contacting local construction companies soon.”<\/p>\n