Video: Hawke's Bay Hospital a priority for Shane Reti and the Government
Dr Shane Reti announced today that the upgrade or replacement of Hawke's Bay Hospital is a priority for him and for this Government.
"[The Government] is currently forming a business case, then indicative business case and as soon as that's ready and prepared then this Government will take it into account," Reti told Hawke's Bay App at a media stand up at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga in Hastings today.
"But Hawke's Bay Hospital and the redevelopment of Hawke's Bay Hospital is a priority for me."
However, when it comes to Hawke's Bay Hospital there have been many promises from both National and Labour over the years and nothing has been done thus far.
"It's been fair to say that over a number of governments and over a number of years that no substantial progress has been made.
"The progress that's being made here at the moment is the pathway that we have for national infrastructure, which starts with a program business case or an indicative business case.
"That funding has been found, that funding is in play and that pathway is in course," says Reti.
Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd agrees that a new Hawke’s Bay Hospital is a top priority for this Government
Wedd joined the Health Minister to walk around the Hawke’s Bay Hospital today to understand the challenges and issues staff and patients are facing with infrastructure and workforce.
“We desperately need a new hospital for Hawke’s Bay and it’s good to hear today that the Minister says Hawke’s Bay Hospital is a top priority hospital for our government, with the business case progressing,” says Wedd.
“We visited ICU, ED and cut the ribbon on the recently commissioned Theatre Eight. This new theatre will have a positive impact for staff and patients, but we recognise there is a lot of work to do in our hospital to improve the standard of care.”
But what about the severe staffing shortages plaguing hospitals across the motu, what is Dr Reti and the Coalition Government doing about it?
"We're doing a range of things, first of all you saw with some of our immigration settings around the green list and turning on the pathway to residency, particularly for nurses.
"I am pleased that actually we have had a significant inflow of nurses, particularly internationally qualified nurses and while there are still vacancies it's much less of a discussion than maybe it was six months ago.
"You've seen us talk about a third medical school, which is a long-term play of course, and the work we're doing to progress that. You've seen us create 50 new medical places for new doctors to come into Auckland and Otago and you've also seen us increase the number of places for nurse practitioners."
"There is a lot of work to do, I stand by my statement that health workforce is the single biggest hurdle for the health system progressing and achieving the outcomes we need to achieve and it will remain my number one priority," says Reti.
But what about the erasure of the Māori Health Authority and the impact that has on organisations like Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga?
"What that means is there's the opportunity for them to be even more empowered through the Iwi-Māori partnership board framework.
"What that means is the ability to have strategic decision-making in your area and follow it with funding is something that [Te Aka Whai Ora] prohibited.
"I broke that and unlocked it and will back Māori health providers to provide Māori health services to their communities
"A good example is with the organisation I'm with here today, who have benefitted from the $50 million immunisation announcement that myself and the prime minister made before Christmas, and if we are to understand that that was an announcement that utalises the very best, the magic I would put to you of what Māori health providers can do reaching out to remote, rural and vulnerable communities through immunisation, and you know when they get to those communities they will put a needle into a white arm, just as quickly as a brown arm. They will serve a universal audience and so we back Māori health providers and we put money behind our words," says Reti
Reti visited Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga today to announce that the Government has introduced a new target to make sure that 95 per cent of children are immunised at 24 months.
"The new immunisation service delivered by Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga and other providers will play a critical role in helping us to achieve our new childhood vaccination target," Reti said.
"World Immunisation week is very timely for New Zealand because winter is on our doorstep and with that comes an increased risk of flu, we're also on the watch for other illnesses like measles and hooping cough.
"Our current vaccination rates mean we are at an increased risk of an outbreak if these illnesses get into our communities."
"Immunisation reduces the chance of infection, protects you from the more severe effects if you do get sick and prevents you from passing diseases onto people around you and helps protect the more vunerable members of our communities.
"I and this Government back immunisation," says Reti.
