Health New Zealand is planning smaller hospital builds and reusing existing infrastructure in the future to avoid a repeat of the issues that plagued Dunedin Hospital.
A document released to 1News under the Official Information Act shows health officials earlier this year looked at the lessons from the project.
Construction of the first section of the new Dunedin Hospital is well under way but it's been plagued by delays and cost blowouts.
"For large hospital redevelopment projects, more emphasis will be placed on reusing existing infrastructure and staging investment over time to support smaller, more deliverable projects over several years," the document said.
It pointed out this strategy would be preferable over a build as big as Dunedin "which is too large for the New Zealand market".
The document said project costs have been underestimated previously and, among the many recommendations, it said contractors should be involved earlier in the process and, where possible, a standardised design should be used.
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists' executive director Sarah Dalton said the new plan might work.
"I think smaller buildings sequenced over time, particularly when you're working around functioning hospitals is probably a good thing to do. And maybe it will stop us falling into that trap of you build an enormous hospital and then you ignore it for 50 years and wonder why it's failing all of a sudden."
But Dalton held concerns about reusing existing, ageing buildings as it might not save money in the long run. "It may be really difficult to repurpose those for current medical best practice."
1News revealed earlier this year that the design for the Nelson Hospital rebuild had changed from one large acute services building to a series of smaller, staged buildings.
No one from Health New Zealand would be interviewed but in a statement chief infrastructure and investment officer Jeremy Holman said new health facilities were prioritised based on clinical need.
"We are also looking at a number of ways to deliver health infrastructure faster such as staging and sequencing smaller builds," he said.
Holman said a 10-year investment plan was being prepared for Cabinet consideration. "The draft plan includes options for a number of hospitals, including the redevelopment of Hawke's Bay, Tauranga, and Palmerston North hospitals, and other facilities in the regions."
Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith said upgrades to the hospital were top of the list 10 years ago but this had slowly dropped further down the priority list.
"I can understand the Government only has a certain pot of money," Smith said.
"We're up for retrofitting if that's the way it has to be. We have quite a sizeable hospital now. It's been well maintained but it does need some investment."
Health Minister Shane Reti wouldn't be interviewed but Labour's associate health spokesperson Tracey McLellan said the strategy was clearly about cost-cutting.
$47b bill for new hospitals and repairs over next decade - Health NZ
It is the equivalent of two or three new Dunedin Hospitals every year for the next 10 years.
8:41am
"I think Dunedin Hospital is a huge endeavour. It is one of the biggest infrastructure programmes in New Zealand.
"But there's lots of other hospitals, provincial hospitals and regional hospitals that deserve to be done properly. And I don't think that we can throw the baby out with the bath water."
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