Hon Tony Ryall
Minister of Health

19 December 2012

Media Release

Action to progress Grey Base Hospital Redevelopment

Health Minister Tony Ryall has today announced the Government is moving to fast track plans to rebuild Grey Base Hospital in Greymouth.

Mr Ryall says a special Hospital Redevelopment Partnership Group will be established to finalise and fast track the redevelopment plans by the end of April next year.

The Group brings the DHB, Ministry of Health and Treasury together in a collaborative approach that will save time and money. The standard large-scale building approval process can sometimes take years.

Mr Ryall says the Government will put $1 million towards the Partnership Group’s work. The Government has recently also provided $2 million to West Coast DHB for initial emergency repairs to some hospital facilities which have been found to be significant seismic risks.

“Grey Base Hospital needs to be fixed – it has ageing facilities and has significant seismic issues – and the Government wants to see this happen as soon as possible,” Mr Ryall says.

“The government wants to ensure West Coast DHB has all the support it needs in order to do that, while also being an integral part of the redevelopment.

“West Coast District Health Board submitted the proposal for this Partnership Group. It is a similar approach to Canterbury DHB’s hospital redevelopment partnership group announced earlier this year which is now successfully supporting and speeding up the rebuild of Christchurch and Burwood hospitals.

“The Partnership Group will be working to ensure all plans take a regional approach in light of the much closer relationship between the West Coast and Canterbury,” Mr Ryall says.

‘The Group will work with West Coast DHB to develop a final business plan, and fast track the design of the Hospital redevelopment. It will also consider ways to speed up the Buller Health redevelopment.

The four members of the new Partnership Group are:

• Cathy Cooney, Chair – ex-Chief Executive of Lakes District

Health Board. Mrs Cooney oversaw the significant Rotorua Hospital redevelopment.

• Gloria Johnson - Chief Medical Officer at Counties District

Health Board

• Tim Molloy - Chair of the General Practice Leaders Forum and

a General Practitioner from Warkworth.

• Peter Ballantyne - Acting Chair of West Coast District Health Board.

In addition to the members listed above, the Group will include ex officio members representing the Ministry of Health, Treasury, and West Coast District Health Board.
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