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715 days ago

Dunedin Hospital has been 'running down to the bone for years' - doctor

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Dunedin News

From reporter Hamish McNeilly:

Dunedin Hospital has been so stretched doctors have had to treat patients in corridors and work up to 90 hours a week, one doctor has told the city council.

“I don’t actually want more money, I would like to see more of my kids,” Dr Janet Rhodes told a Dunedin City Council meeting via audiovisual link on Monday.

The Dunedin Hospital doctor was expressing her concern over the future capacity of the city’s new $1.47 billion hospital, one of the largest infrastructure builds in the country.

Listening to her were city councillors wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the words: THEY SAVE WE PAY. NO DUNEDIN HOSPITAL CUTS.

The council, led by mayor Jules Radich, is leading a campaign to halt proposed cuts to the new hospital.

Concerns over the project included a reduction in the number of beds in the inpatients’ building from 410 to 398, a reduction in operating theatres from 28 to 26, and a reduction in MRI scanners to two.

Rhodes said the current facility was old and had run at or near capacity in recent years. There was no fat in the system to trim, she said.

“We have been running down to the bone for years now.”

The current hospital was inadequate in terms of size and the new rebuild would have a similar number of beds – a major concern for those set to work in the facility.

In December, it was announced the project’s budget had been increased by $110 million after some $90m worth of savings were identified.

A report from Te Whatu Ora Southern detailed the impact of that cost-cutting in the design, about four years in the planning. “Undoing this in as many months carries significant reputational, operational and clinical risk,” it warned.

Rhodes said the current hospital contributed to “unsafe outcomes for patients”.

People deserved privacy and dignity when they went into hospital, but some patients had to wait up to 18 hours, or were examined standing up in corridors due to the lack of space.

The hospital rebuild was a “colossal amount of money”, but the cost to the health system of replicating a similar sized hospital was a cause of concern, she said.

She also highlighted staff shortages. She routinely worked about 65 hours a week, but could work up to 90 hours.

Another speaker at the public forum, Dr John Chambers, a former member of the now defunct Southern District Health Board, said he expected the $90m in savings to have all but gone by the time the building opened.

He said he was invited to a meeting in February where Whatu Ora Health New Zealand executives said Dunedin patients could get operations in Timaru in future.

Meanwhile, the opening of the new inpatient building had been pushed back 10 months and would now open in 2029. The new outpatient building was expected to open in late 2025.

Chambers said the final make-up of the new hospital was far from a “done deal”, and suggested the building’s final configuration could claw back some of the losses announced last year.

Those behind the hospital project will deliver a public update in Dunedin on Tuesday.

More messages from your neighbours
4 days ago

Poll: Would you use a pet cemetery?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Dave Stephens has created a pet cemetery on his land.

The 10-acre site in Albany, Auckland, features graves nestled among beautifully manicured gardens and unique art pieces, offering a serene space where visitors can pay their respects in their own way.

Is a local pet cemetery something you think you would use? Share your thoughts below.

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Would you use a pet cemetery?
  • 31.3% Yes
    31.3% Complete
  • 67.1% No
    67.1% Complete
  • 1.5% Other - I'll share below
    1.5% Complete
1296 votes
18 hours ago

Neighbourly Q&A: Consumer rights with CAB's Andrew Hubbard

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

What can you do if you buy something that breaks soon after you buy it? It's time for another helpful Q&A.

This week we have Andrew Hubbard from Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand (CABNZ) who will be answering your questions about your consumer rights.

A little bit about Andrew:
Dr Andrew Hubbard is deputy chief executive of Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand (CAB) and loves working for the CAB so much that he’s been there for more than fifteen years.

Andrew believes in the difference people can make working together in the community and loves being able to support the work of the more than 2000 CAB volunteers across the motu. Andrew’s background is in policy and he’s been actively involved in consumer issues for the fifteen years he’s been at the CAB.

Andrew and the CAB team are ready to answer your questions about your consumer rights. This might be questions about when you can get a refunds, your rights when buying via Facebook or overseas, product delivery issues and what to do if a retailer won't sort a problem out for you. Ask away!

Andrew will be here live on Wednesday at 9.30am, but go ahead, and add your question below now ⇩

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1 day ago

Got a minute?💡Try this riddle and let’s see how clever you really are! 🧐

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

I am silent, yet I speak;
I can open minds but cannot open myself;
I contain worlds but have no life—
What am I?

Do you think you know the answer? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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