Health NZ Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) - the entity responsible for planning and delivering health services - has provided an update on its planning for the Central Lakes region (which includes Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes).

A statement from HNZ last week (September 1) - ‘Shaping the future of health services in Central Lakes’ - outlined the clinical services review currently underway. 

Meanwhile, private investors and others are planning health infrastructure and, in one case, preparing to break ground.

HNZ said it is planning “to guide the future of health services in the Central Lakes region – one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing areas – with initial workshops and stakeholder engagement sessions already in progress”.

The project will “help to determine what future publicly funded clinical services may be required in the area, how they will be delivered, and where they will be provided”. 

An investment company has just received consent for a five-level surgical hospital and helipad in Wānaka, supported by four purpose-designed office buildings for allied medical services, and on-site car parking.

Roa CEO Mike Saegers said the community “can now look forward to the Wānaka Health Precinct attracting medical specialties and services not currently available in the area”.

Why wait for the government to do it? The Regional Deal

Also underway are regional deal negotiations between central government and Otago Lakes Central (a group comprising Central Otago District Council, Queenstown District Council (QLDC), and Otago Regional Council). 

The draft deal includes plans for a privately financed, publicly leased hospital in Queenstown - at least partly funded by Queenstown businessman Rod Drury’s Southern Infrastructure group.

QLDC councillor Lyal Cocks, a member of the regional deal negotiating committee, said the deal includes a proposal for health infrastructure and services based on work undertaken by the Otago Central Lakes Health Services and Assets Project, as well as identifying existing health projects and resources.  

Lyal said “we’ve got to look at alternative ways of doing things”, explaining that if private providers build health infrastructure maybe central government doesn’t have to.

“It’s a good thing if we get it earlier rather than later.”

Lyal said it was essential to ensure HNZ completes a Clinical Services Plan (CSP) for the region to identify what is needed and where, and “provides the services as identified in the CSP, in whatever way possible”.  

Mayors, MPs, private investors collaborate

The Otago Central Lakes Health Services and Assets Project, which includes Central Otago District Council mayor Tamah Alley, Queenstown Lakes mayor Glyn Lewers, Southland MP Joseph Mooney, Waitaki MP Miles Anderson, and Queenstown-based ACT MP Todd Stephenson (and which is backed by a charitable trust) has been working with health infrastructure specialist Helen Foot - of Markit Consulting in Queenstown - with the goal of incorporating public health services alongside existing and planned private providers. 

Helen Foot has not responded to questions put by this writer.

Otago Central Lakes Health Project steering group members (clockwise from left, Queenstown Lakes District Council mayor Glyn Lewers, Waitaki MP Miles Anderson, Queenstown-based ACT MP Todd Stephenson, and Southland MP Joseph Mooney.

A statement from the group in July said HNZ’s clinical services review “clears the way for a new hospital in the region that could complement and support existing health services”. 

“It could be New Zealand’s first large privately-owned and publicly operated hospital,” the statement said.

Central Otago Health Services Ltd chair Richard Thomson has urged Central Otago councillors to strengthen their case for Central Otago under the Regional Deal proposal, and from what was proposed in the Otago Central Lakes Health Services & Assets project.

Richard said a base hospital in Queenstown would mean the majority of medical patients would have to travel further for care, because of our disaggregated region with multiple population centres (Wānaka, Cromwell, Alexandra, Roxburgh).

He believes the focus should be on health services rather than health buildings, “and a base hospital incorporated into a private facility in Queenstown should not be the only option on the table”.

Read more: Health leader pushes case for Central Otago hospital

What is Health NZ’s role?

Despite this work underway, our question to HNZ on who is responsible for planning health infrastructure drew a firm response: “The role of planning for public health services sits exclusively with HNZ,” HNZ Southern interim group director of operations Craig Ashton said.

HNZ’s statement last week said its Southern executive regional director Dr Pete Watson, who is new to the role, is encouraging regional and Southern health leaders and service providers to think of the future: digital technologies, new innovations, different ways of working and using different workforces.

HNZ Te Waipounamu community integration group manager Aroha Metcalf said planning will incorporate secondary hospitals in Dunedin and Invercargill as well as rural hospitals in the district.

“This planning process is essential to shaping the future mix, delivery model, and distribution of publicly funded health services for the Central Lakes region,” she said.

“We are committed to working closely with the community, papatipu rūnanga (local Iwi), and key stakeholder groups to ensure access to high-quality and appropriate healthcare services. Community views and experiences of the health system will be a cornerstone of the clinical services planning process.” 

Aroha said the review will “set a precedent nationally for the way services are delivered in rural and remote communities by responding to population and geography in equal measure”.

HNZ said it is on track to deliver a Clinical Services Plan by December, with planning for implementation beginning in the new year.

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Images: Supplied